


Just a Little Luck

by ragekat



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-01-26 06:34:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21369736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragekat/pseuds/ragekat
Summary: First time poster!This is just a little something I was inspired to do in the wee hours of the morning. It's an alternate universe setting with our favorite characters: Anne Lister, who is a writer with an editor problem, and Ann Walker, veterinary surgeon extraordinaire.Author's Note: I woke up to my dog snoring obnoxiously on my bed and so she may or may not be partial inspiration for the story.Shoutout to my "Tribe"; y'all know who you are <3
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854)
Comments: 78
Kudos: 261





	1. Chapter 1

Anne Lister was running late but it was no fault of her own. She had just finished a lengthy meeting with her editor. It was the sort of meeting that ruffled Anne’s collar – she hated having to dissect her own words. She was an extremely avid writer though, which proved time and again to be problematic when dealing with editors. Her latest editor, Eliza Priestly, was a good decade and a half or so older than Anne, who was thirty-three years old. It wasn’t Anne’s choice that they started working together, but rather a demand from her previous editor who was irritated by Anne’s stubbornness and inability to take criticism.

The meeting with Eliza crept well past 6pm, when she was expected to be heading south for a posh dinner party at a friend’s estate in a neighborhood just outside city limits.

Anne checked her watch and with a huff, stood from her chair. “Eliza, I’m already late for this thing I was going to. Can we continue this tomorrow or some other time? Please?”

Eliza shrugged her shoulders. “Up to you Anne. I’m not going to rush the process – however long it takes to publish is mostly on you at this point. Go if you need to go,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

***

Anne hurried down to the parking garage and shuffled herself into her slate grey Jaguar, revving the engine twice before reversing out and squealing her tires in the process. She mostly knew the route to Tib’s house by now but by the time she was beyond city limits and the roads narrowed, she pulled her phone and attempted to set up the GPS for navigation. She didn’t mind the idea of potentially getting lost on any other occasion, but she had promised Tib AGES ago that she’d attend this party tonight and Anne didn’t want to disappoint her.

Driving rather precariously with only one hand on the wheel, she sped through narrow lanes while inputting buttons for Tib’s address. After finally getting her route synced, she thought she’d better let Tib know that she’d be late and not wait for food on her account. Just as she was pressing the “Call” button on her steering wheel, some light mass of wet and dirty fur darted in front of her from around a blind alley corner.

She slammed her feet down onto the brakes, sending her anti-lock brakes into stuttering. It was hard to tell from the car’s braking if she hit anything. It all happened so fast and it took her a second to process what had happened. Then as if struck by lightning, she went into recovery mode. She put her hazard lights on and turned the engine off. She walked to the front of her car, where she was hoping not to see the worst. Next to the driver side tire was a dog, some sort of retriever mix from Anne’s estimation. The dog was panting heavily, and Anne could immediately see that the dog’s back left leg was bloodied and scraped. Based on how the dog was holding it, Anne surmised it was more than likely broken badly.

She kneeled close to the dog and gently rubbed its head. “There, there, buddy. I am going to get you help right this second, don’t worry. I’ve got you,” she whispered near its head as she pulled out her phone and immediately searched for the nearest 24-hour veterinary service. As it turns out, there was one only a few miles from where she was. She marked the location for GPS purposes and then put the phone back into the holster on her dash. She rid herself of her suit jacket and tossed it onto the passenger seat as a cover. She retrieved a blanket she kept in the boot for emergencies and went about securing the dog as best as she could for transport.

Unsurprisingly, the dog was not keen on being moved and was probably in an extreme amount of pain but accepted its fate as Anne loaded it onto her jacket in the passenger seat. She did her best to secure it with a seatbelt and set about steadying herself for what was about to be an excruciatingly long drive to the veterinary practice.

***

After eight painfully long minutes of delicate driving and slow turns, Anne saw the lights of the hospital and pulled into the emergency lane. She patted the dog gently on the head and whispered, “I’m going to get you help now, okay? Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

She dashed into the reception area and flagged down the first person in scrubs. “You, hey, can you help me please? I just hit this dog with my car and I think it’s in a lot of pain. I think its leg is broken.”

A young woman in scrubs turned around as Anne started speaking. She immediately strode over to Anne and said “show me”, while donning a fresh pair of gloves.

Anne led her to the car. The young woman took a look at the dog, delicately poking its leg to sense the severity of the injury. “Can you go back inside and flag down a man named James? Tell the receptionist that Dr Walker needs him with the go-bag out front right now. You got that?”

Anne did as instructed and ran inside, repeating as best she could what the doctor had just said. When she returned to the car, Anne was undeniably in a state of shock. The severity of what transpired hit her like a freight train and she broke down into hot tears. Dr Walker refocused her attention on the human patient. “Hey, are you alright?”

“I didn’t mean to – it just came running out of nowhere and I couldn’t stop in time,” Anne panted.

Dr Walker grabbed Anne’s hands with her clean gloved hand. “I know. It’s not your fault. You’re making a difference just being here with him right now. Most people would just hit and run, as awful as it is. Don’t worry about him. James and I will take excellent care of this guy.”

Anne offered a half-smile in response. “Thank you Dr Walker, was it?”

“Yeah, Ann Walker, RCVS, at your service,” Ann said with a smile.

“I’m Anne Lister, with no letters behind my name. At least no official ones,” Anne said as the tears subsided.

Then, a burly young man who Anne assumed could only be James, was right beside Dr Walker as she tended to the dog. James wheeled out a small gurney, with a bag loaded full of supplies on top.

“James, thank you. We need to get this guy stabilized enough for an X-ray so we can see what we’re working with. I need to stabilize the pelvis while you lift him onto the gurney, right? On my count, 1-2-3!” They worked in unison as James lifted the dog up, Dr Walker kept the dog steady and stable.

Anne shuffled her feet from a few steps away. Her nerves started to calm as she watched Dr Walker and James help the dog. James led the gurney inside as gently as he could. Medicine always fascinated Anne but she found the restraints of medical school too much to handle and opted not to pursue it officially.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Anne asked.

Dr Walker looked back at her. “You’ve done everything you can and now it’s time for us to do everything _we_ can, yeah? We’re going to get him scanned and X-rayed and doped up on the best drugs a dog could need. I love dogs. I mean, I love all animals really, but I do have a fondness for dogs. I think it’s the unwavering loyalty.”

Anne smiled. “They are wonderful, aren’t they?”

“So, Anne Lister, will you be sticking around or did you need to go? I can keep you updated on his condition if you’d like. I just assumed that since you went to the trouble of bringing him here you’d be invested in his outcome,” Ann said before realizing that perhaps Anne wanted nothing to do with this situation any more. She’d seen it before with other hit-and-run patients. Person brings dog in, person sees how expensive it is to fix dog, person abandons dog at the hospital. She hoped Anne Lister wasn’t that kind of person.

“I was actually on my way to a thing – a dinner party, but then I hit the dog. And I daresay I’m more than invested in his outcome. Spare no expense for his recovery please. I will pay for any and all treatments necessary,” Anne blurted emphatically. “I didn’t see a collar on first glance but he could be chipped, right?”

Dr Walker rid herself of the gloves and shoved them into a pocket. She reached out her hand, offering it to Anne. “Let’s go find out, shall we?”

***

Anne sat with a fresh cup of tea in Dr Walker’s office as she pored over the x-rays of the dog’s abdomen and legs. Anne noticed Dr Walker’s slender fingers tracing what she assumed was a severe fracture of the dog’s leg. After some moments, Anne stood next to Dr Walker.

“How bad is it?” Anne asked in a hushed voice.

“He’s bloody lucky. Another centimeter in either direction at this main fracture point here,” her finger tapped at what looked like an epicenter of brokenness, “and it could have far more threatening consequences. As it stands, I think this boy will be right as rain after surgery to fix his leg and then some quality physical therapy.”

Anne smiled widely. “And what about a chip? Did you already do that scan too?”

Dr Walker nodded. “Yes, we scanned him but didn’t find anything. I’ll wait to take a better look at his teeth and gauge his overall age and nutritional status, in other words is he someone’s dog or just a stray, until I get him on the table. But I promise, I will take very good care of him.” She patted Anne’s shoulder.

“Thank you Dr Walker,” Anne started and paused for a second. “Could I watch the surgery?”

“Sorry?”

“I’ve always had a love of medicine and I can appreciate a skilled surgeon performing a delicate surgery like I can appreciate a piece of art or a delicious meal or an opera. In other words, I’ve got a curiosity and I know it’s uncommon but I would really consider it a huge nightcap to an otherwise shit day,” Anne blurts excitedly, animating her hands as she spoke.

“Well, as long as you promise not to vomit in my operating room, I think it can be arranged. Since you’re so invested in him _and_ you have an unusual love of medicine,” Dr Walker laughed. “We’ll need to get prepped and sterilized for surgery but I need to plan it out first. I’ll need probably enough time for you to go home and come back first thing tomorrow morning if you’re serious.”

“What about you? Don’t you need sleep also?” Anne asked, genuinely concerned for her clarity for the sake of the dog.

“We’re 24-hour for a reason,” Dr Walker teased, “we have different shifts. Dr Norrington comes in at 5am to assist with surgeries that I’ve got scheduled. Then assuming any and all surgeries are successful, they let me leave at 11am to go home and come back fresh at 7pm. But we’re partnered with other practices who don’t offer 24-hour service and their doctors will work cycles here. It’s a complicated schedule but I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Sounds intriguing,” Anne admits. “And thrilling to a degree.”

Dr Walker nods. “So, just in case anything should happen tonight – which it won’t – I think I should get a contact number for you.” She offered Anne a small sticky pad and a pen, which Anne used to scribble down her phone number.

“Please do call if something changes with him. Like you said,” Anne winked, “I’m invested now.”

“Alright then, go home and get some sleep. Even if you think you’re not squeamish, you very well might get that way tomorrow during surgery. It happens to a lot of newbies. Just plan your breakfast accordingly,” Dr Walker laughs innocently.


	2. It's Latin for Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne has to face her old friend Tib and Dr Walker needs to plan things. Slow and steady. 
> 
> Hopefully you enjoy.
> 
> Thanks to my Tribe and my "editor" DH <3

When Anne got to her car, she discovered that she’d left her phone in the holster. She also discovered that she had 3 missed calls from Tib and several frantic texts wondering if Anne was alright. She started her car, putting the AC on full as she was suddenly overheated from the evening’s events. As she pressed the “Call” button, Anne found her finger shaking. She clenched into a fist and flexed her hand. She tapped the button and after two trills Tib answered.

_“Where the hell are you? Are you okay? I got a call and then there was a weird noise and the call dropped. What happened?”_

Anne drew circles on her temples as she tried to compose herself.

“Listen, Tib, I’ve had an absolute nightmare of an evening. I know I’ve completely missed your party but is there any chance you’d have me anyway? I need to stay closer than mine tonight. I’ll tell you all about it, is that alright?” Anne tried to sound as apologetic as she could. She did genuinely feel like the world’s biggest arse for standing up her longtime friend.

_“I guess so. But you’d better bring some alcohol as a treaty offering. These louts drank me damn near dry and I can’t be bothered to drive.”_

Anne chuckles quietly. “Fair enough Tib. I’m sure I can manage something. See you soon.”

***

When Anne arrived in the driveway, Tib was waiting by her front door, wearing a fuzzy bathrobe and slippers.

“Care to share the booze and tell me what the hell is going on?” Tib asked, impatiently.

Anne strode forward and gently embraced Tib in a light hug then offered the bottle of whisky as a token of apology. “Sorry for missing your party. Have some whisky and listen to my day.”

Anne knew Tib’s house well enough to walk her way through to the kitchen, where she fetched two highball glasses, filling one with ice. She waited as Tib opened the bottle and then slid the ice-less glass towards her.

Tib poured a shot, drank it, then poured another while also filling Anne’s glass. “Mm, you know I do love a quality whisky.” She slid the glass back to Anne, who gingerly took a sip. Letting the warmth overtake her throat, it brought a temporary respite from the raw emotion of the day.

“You look like shit, Lister,” Tib said flatly.

Anne scowled at her old friend over the whisky glass from which she was sipping. “Thank you, friend. I feel quite shit right now.”

Tib laughed then heartily nudged Anne in the shoulder, causing her to stumble her position slightly. “Go on then, tell us about it.”

After a heavy sigh, Anne opened up. “I hit a dog on my way to your party, for which I was already late because of this ridiculously pointless meeting with yet another worthless editor. And on top of everything else, I’m fairly certain I’m pretty fucked up relationship-wise. I was forced to give Mariana the ultimatum I’d been dreading for too long: divorce Charles and be with me or I walk away forever and for good.”

Tib’s eyebrows went wide. “Is the dog okay?”

Anne cocked her a weird look. “The dog? Oh, yes,” as she realized Tib _would_ care most about some dog over anything else. “He, the dog, is under the careful watch of a Dr Ann Walker, whose practice is about ten minutes in that direction,” attempting to point in the general area from where she just came. “I felt so terrible about it but she was so kind and helpful. She thinks he will make a total recovery after surgery and physical therapy. She’s even allowed me to view the surgery while she performs! Can you believe it?” Anne’s face, now dissolved of anger, glowed with genuine happiness – further accentuated by her bright, toothy smile.

“What I can believe is that Dr Walker seems to have had a good impact on you,” Tib paused. “Shit, I didn’t mean to use that word. Sorry pal.”

Anne shrugged off the faux pas.

“Anyway, you were really unsteady looking when you first got here but I think between the whiskey and talk of the doctor, you seem better. Now that I know the dog will be okay, which thing do you want to hash out next: the would-be-won’t-be wife or the newest variety of editor, who surely will be _the one_ who finally manages to work with the illustrious Anne Lister?” Tib laughed.

“You know what, I think it’s time to let this day be done. I’ve got to be up early for the dog’s surgery tomorrow,” Anne set her empty glass on the counter. “Mind if I crash in one of the guest rooms? And would it be too presumptuous of me to ask to stay here for the next few days? My flat is so far away from Dr Walker’s practice and I’m really rather fond of the idea of keeping an eye on the dog. I’d like to stay close just in case. If things work out and his surgery is successful and we still haven’t found an official owner, I believe I may adopt him. I know there’s a process but obviously that’s a while off yet, seeing as he’ll also need physical therapy.”

Tib clutched her hand to her mouth in mock surprise. “Lister wants to get a dog but only to get in the hot young doctor’s pants, shocking!”

If looks could kill, Anne would have obliterated Tib in that moment.

***

Anne found herself uncomfortably hot at some point during the night and quickly realized that Tib had snuck into the bed next to her, something that Tib would often do when they stayed anywhere together. Tib was a cuddler and Anne, while not overly fond of it, would allow it for the sake of friendship. Boundaries were established a long time ago so Anne knew that Tib in her bed was completely platonic.

She checked her watch and saw the time read 4:35am. It was earlier than it should have been but Anne felt compelled to go ahead and get herself dressed and left for Dr Walker’s practice. She shuffled Tib’s heavy arm and leg from being on top of her torso and then shimmied out of the bed entirely. She smoothed the sheets around her friend, leaned forward to kiss her fondly on the forehead, and said “thanks Tib” before grabbing her things and leaving the bedroom.

***

Anne left Tib’s house by 5:20am, which she considered to be an impressive turn-around, given her need for a long, hot shower to calm her frayed nerves. She had tried to shed the worries of yesterday before facing the new challenges of the day with a fresh new confidence. She hoped it worked. And at Dr Walker’s suggestion, her breakfast consisted of coffee with just a bit of toast.

By the time she got there, her hand was shaking inconveniently again. She steadied her breathing and closed her eyes in some weird attempt at meditation. It was short-lived as there was a light _tap-tap_ on her car window and the face of Dr Ann Walker was beaming down at her, with her golden hair windswept across her face. Anne rolled down the window.

“Well, hello again Dr Walker,” Anne said with a confident smile.

“Hi Anne, you’re here quite early. Everything alright?” Dr Walker asked with a tone of concern.

Anne cleared her throat. “Ah, yes. Always alright. I was just up early and couldn’t sleep. I stayed with a friend who lives much closer – she’s very kind. Anyway, I figured I should just check in and see how the dog is.”

Dr Walker leaned forward, propping her arms on the opened window frame. “A little bird told me that the surgery will be long and meticulous but oh-so-satisfying. And you know what else this bird told me?”

Anne gazed up at Dr Walker’s crystal blue eyes and forgot that words existed for the briefest of moments.

“Uh, no, what?”

Dr Walker grabbed Anne’s hand, which had been firmly clasped to the steering wheel. “The dog is quite lucky that you’re so good-natured. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart for caring about him this much. It can be hard in this profession. Seeing animals deserted because of expensive treatments that are needed for quality of life, it’s tragic.”

Anne gripped Dr Walker’s hand tightly. “I would never do that. I hope you know that by now,” she said with a sense of urgency. The grip was firmer than Anne had intended but it still felt electric. Tib wasn’t entirely wrong about Anne’s attraction to the young doctor.

“You are definitely one of the good ones,” Dr Walker said with an innocence and truth that made Anne blush undeniably. “Come on, let’s go to my office and I can walk you through the surgical plan.”

***

In Dr Walker’s office, there was a small table, ostensibly for the purposes of pre- and post-surgical meetings. There was a small flat-screen monitor and a separate X-ray lamp. Dr Walker expertly navigated the software to show Anne a full 3D animation of the surgical plan.

As she explained the technical difficulties they might encounter, Anne noticed how Dr Walker would stop and take the time to make sure Anne was following along. But Anne was constantly distracted by Dr Walker’s finger, or her jaw as she spoke, or her eyes when she focused on something. Anne shook her head as if to snap herself out of it.

“So, I was thinking,” she said after Dr Walker finished the plan. “I’d like to adopt the dog if we aren’t able to find an owner, officially that is. I don’t know what the process is but I’m sure you do and I am very keen to do this. What do you think?” Anne’s enthusiasm was slightly over-the-top but made Dr Walker smile anyway.

“Let’s just get over one hurdle at a time with him right now, yeah? Surgery is one thing, but he will need a lot of additional work and I don’t want you to get attached prematurely. Plus, I’ll need to report him to the dog warden and there’s a whole process there. To be honest, this is never a guarantee-giving kind of profession. But I promise, this hurdle will be the biggest by far. And we’re totally ready – so what do you say we get nice and sterile then get to work on the lucky guy?”

Anne chuckled at the phrasing. “I had also given some thought to his name, potentially. Is that okay?”

Dr Walker nodded and encouraged Anne to continue with a flash of a smile.

“Well, we keep referring to him as ‘lucky’ and I’m kind of a language nerd, Latin specifically, so I was thinking of calling him Felix. What do you think?” Anne reached forward and grabbed Dr Walker’s hand.

“I love it,” Dr Walker replied truthfully. “We’ll call him Felix until someone can prove us otherwise! So, are you ready for this?”

Anne nodded. “Yes, I believe so. Ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

The two women set off down the hall to the pre-surgical scrub prep area, joined a few moments later by James and another young man, assisting during the surgery.

Dr Walker gathered them together briefly before starting the sterilization process. “Alright team, this is Anne Lister and she’ll be uh, spectating, this surgery. She’s not to touch anything or anyone. I’ll show her where to stand once we’re inside. Let’s fix this puppy, yeah? Alright, everyone knows the plan. Dr Norrington will be joining us once we’re ready to start screwing stuff together. Let’s take this nice and easy, okay?”

With that, the team set about preparing for the surgery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be PG-rated forever but I'm not rushing. ;)


	3. The Surgery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outcome of the surgery and a little extra fluff because I wanted to

The surgery was long and tedious but ultimately successful. Felix was now the owner of some very metallic new joints and bones. Anne amused herself at the thought of the dog becoming somewhat more indestructible after the dust settled. Dr Walker pointed out that although Felix was in mostly good health, his teeth indicated that he was almost certainly a stray. Dr Walker estimated his age somewhere between 8 months and a year. She also identified him as some sort of golden retriever mix. Before the surgery, they had prepped him with a bath to shave and prep the incision site. As his fur dried, Felix was a bright sunny blond color. Anne thought him quite handsome for a dog.

During the surgery, Anne maintained her eager perch from near Felix’s head, from where she could see the entire surgical field. Dr Walker had given her permission to bring her journal into the theatre and Anne was industrious with her notetaking. She timed the surgery at lasting 3 hours and 49 minutes, from first incision to last stitch. She marveled at Dr Walker’s dexterity and skill. Anne found herself completely slack-jawed at Dr Walker on more than one occasion.

Anne noticed how Dr Walker maintained her calm leadership aura even when Dr Norrington, an older know-it-all type, joined for the more complicated parts of the process. Norrington had arrived in a total huff, irritated that his first surgery of the day was this complicated and that no one had thought to warn him. Dr Walker countered that he should expect to do any manner of things at any time as necessity demands. Anne chuckled to herself when Norrington was shut right up with Dr Walker’s remark.

Dr Norrington was all too ready to scrub out when the surgery was finished, but Dr Walker took her time and kept fastidious records of Felix’s vital signs and inputs and outputs. Anne wasn’t sure if she should’ve gone with Norrington or if Dr Walker wouldn’t mind her continued company.

“That was absolutely amazing, an amazing experience,” Anne blurted, animating her hands as she spoke.

Dr Walker looked up from the clipboard she was focused on. “Oh yes, Norrington’s a bit of a prick but he’s a damn fine surgeon. I believe Felix will make a complete recovery. And I daresay he’s perhaps a bit less vulnerable now,” she said with a laugh. “And thanks for not losing it in here. You did well.”

Anne wasn’t sure if it was the thrill of the surgery or something else, but she couldn’t hide her face from erupting into a beaming smile.

“Have dinner with me,” Anne blurted again.

Dr Walker scrunched her face in confusion. “Sorry?”

“As a celebration of sorts? A successful surgery?” Anne could feel herself overstepping the mark with each word.

“Oh,” Dr Walker started, “well, when?”

Anne laughed nervously. “Well, I believe your schedule is the less predictable one. Do you have a preference?”

Dr Walker smiled and jotted down a few more things before clipping the pen to the board. “I’m starving now, actually. I’d estimate we have about 40 minutes before Felix starts to wake up. James will be by his side and he’ll call if there are any changes to his status. I know it’d be a bit of a rush, but I know of a place within walking distance, if you feel so inclined?”

Anne nodded excitedly. “Yes, that sounds perfect. Whenever you’re ready.”

***

After leaving James with a list of instructions for post-operative care, Dr Walker felt certain she could take a small break for food. It was about 11am when they left and Dr Walker suggested a quaint but cozy establishment operated by an old married couple.

It was a nice refreshing day and the two women enjoyed the walk, as they both bristled with energy from a second wind. The chat was mostly casual, and the café was only a few minutes away at the pace they walked. Anne was enjoying the conversation and the company.

“Hope you like French food,” Dr Walker said with a wink as she opened the door to the small café.

An older man with a large, bushy mustache poked his head from around a corner. “Bonjour Ann! Come in and sit where you like. I will tell Marie you are here,” the man said excitedly as he ushered them to sit somewhere. He disappeared back around the corner, but the two women barely were seated when a shriek could be heard somewhere beyond the kitchen, followed by heavy footprints on wooden floors.

“Ann, bonjour!” the woman exclaimed as she ran to Dr Walker, embracing her and showering her with cheek kisses. Anne stood to the side, giant grin plastered on her face at the display of affection. She had no idea who these people were or who they were to Dr Walker but their excitement to see her was infectious in a way.

“Claude, Marie, I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine. This is Anne Lister,” Dr Walker said, interrupting the displays of affection. She reached for Anne’s hand and pulled her into the fray.

“Bonjour Anne, pleasure to meet you,” Claude said as he extended his hand in an inviting manner. Marie did a small curtsy and smiled at Anne.

“Listen, I hate to be a bother but is there any way we can get our orders in now? We just had a rather lengthy surgery and the patient is of utmost importance, so we’ll need to get back quite soon,” Dr Walker said apologetically.

Claude jumped to action. “Marie, you know how busy she is. Let’s go to the kitchen and prepare the soup.” He grabbed his wife’s hand and trundled down the hallway with her in tow.

***

Though briefer than Anne would have liked, the conversation flowed quite easily. Dr Walker shared stories about her past and a bit of her family history. Dr Walker had an older sister who lived in Scotland but they rarely see each other because of scheduling conflicts and the sister’s family obligations. Dr Walker admitted that she had wanted to be in veterinary medicine since she was a little girl and Anne had no doubt in her mind that was the truth. Anne did a lot of listening because Dr Walker had an easy way of accidentally controlling the conversation that amused Anne.

The ebb and flow of easy, natural conversation caused time to slip away from them and when Dr Walker’s phone alarm went off, it sent both women crashing back to reality. “Damn, I told James we’d be gone no longer than forty minutes. I’m stuffed, how about you?” Dr Walker asked, as she reached for her jacket and tried to put a cash amount on the table.

“Yes, stuffed. That was delicious. And no, please allow me. I invited you, remember?” Anne said as she shoved the cash back into Dr Walker’s jacket pocket.

“Alright, if you insist. I’m not one to turn down a free meal with great company,” Dr Walker laughed. Anne watched as she put her jacket on and walked to where Marie was waiting with a look of a proud mother. Dr Walker gave her a giant hug and whispered something that Anne couldn’t make out. She turned back toward the door and reached for Anne’s hand. “Ready to go?”

Anne tucked some cash between the salt and pepper shakers and grabbed Dr Walker’s extended hand. “Yes, let’s get an update on our boy, shall we?”

***

Back at the practice, James was in the post-operative unit keeping an eye on Felix’s vital signs when the two women arrived. Felix was still mostly unconscious but breathing strongly on his own. Despite the numerous tubes and lines attached, Anne felt a wave of relief wash over her. Dr Walker squeezed Anne’s hand excitedly and pointed out that Felix’s fluid input and output levels were excellent and that all blood work came back normal.

“Dr Walker, ma’am?” James waited for acknowledgement. “I contacted the dog warden as you asked and she said that her cases are backlogged right now and it would be at least three days before she could have someone come by to take a look at Felix. You wanted me to keep you updated, ma’am.”

Anne thought she detected a bit of a blush developing on Dr Walker’s cheeks but played unaware.

“Yes, thank you James,” Dr Walker said after a moment of awkwardness. “Oh, by the way James, you did wonderfully today. Thank you for your help. I think I’ll take over watch from here if you fancy getting home early today.”

James smiled stiffly then exited the room, leaving Anne alone with the surprisingly wonderful Dr Ann Walker and an unconscious dog. Dr Walker donned a fresh pair of gloves and removed the bandage covering the incision. She poked and prodded to verify that the seam was intact and there was no sign of infection. Sufficiently convinced that Felix was indeed alright, Dr Walker led Anne to her office, where they could sit and discuss details.

Dr Walker stifled a yawn as she plopped down in her desk chair, leaving Anne to sit in a chair across from her. “So Anne, you heard James mention the dog warden. Usually in cases like this, they leave it up to the veterinarian to make the determination about whether a dog is fit to be put up for adoption. Since I determined that Felix is almost certainly a stray, the usual process would have him sent to a shelter. But since he needed surgery and because you are willing to take full financial responsibility for the treatment, I’ll suggest to the dog warden that there’s no need for the shelter period and thus can be released to you after I am satisfied that he is healthy enough for it.” She paused for a moment and looked at Anne, whose head seemed to be spinning. “I know it’s a weird situation but the warden and I are actually decent friends and I think she’ll be inclined to take my word.”

Anne smiled pensively. “I just want to make sure everything is done properly. Don’t ask for any favors on my account.”

“Right, well then,” Dr Walker said as she stood. “I’m satisfied that my staff will keep me apprised of Felix’s condition throughout the evening. I need to get home and take a shower before my head falls off. Will you be in tomorrow morning to check up on him? I suspect he’ll be wide awake and ready to try and move – though, it’s far too soon for that,” she trailed off.

“Yes, I will be here bright and early. I’m planning on staying with Tib Norcliffe – my friend – at least for another night or two since my flat is quite far from here and I want to stay on top of things,” Anne replied.

“I bet you do,” Dr Walker quipped.

Anne stood up and escorted Dr Walker from the office to the car lot outside.

“This is me,” Anne said, pointing to her Jaguar. “What time is a good time tomorrow?”

Dr Walker smirked as she got a look of Anne’s car in the bright daylight. “Tell you what, I’m not scheduled for anything heavy duty tomorrow so as long as my patients are fine, I have an idea for something to do after I get off. But you have to pick me up in this.”

Anne laughed. “So, I will be in tomorrow morning to check on Felix and then we can decide what to do later.”

Dr Walker closed the distance between them and put her hand on the door handle as Anne opened it.

“I like you Anne. I just want you to know that.”

Anne turned to face Dr Walker. She met the penetrating blue-eyed stare and nearly forgot her place in time and space in that moment. In a flash, she fantasized about crushing her lips onto the young doctor’s, asserting her feelings in a bold and decisive manner. She wanted nothing more than to feel the heat from the other woman. Instead, her voice wavered and for once, she was at a loss for words. Her mind raced for something to say.

“I, uh, I like you too. You’re a very interesting person and I like being with you, er, spending time with you,” Anne said in a half-whisper.

Dr Walker slowly and tantalizingly leaned forward and pressed her lips gently against Anne’s cheek, wrapping her arms around Anne at the same time. “See you tomorrow morning,” she whispered.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok thirsty folks, it will happen eventually. I promise. :)


	4. Honesty and The Wagging Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne has a conversation with Tib then is properly introduced to Felix.

Anne drove to Tib’s place in a complete daze. Dr Walker had thoroughly dismantled her with her honesty; it was a trait she found extraordinary after experiencing lies and deceit with Mariana. It wasn’t until she was staring in front of an open fridge with Tib poking her in the shoulder that she snapped out of her train of thought.

“Hello? Anne?” Tib said while snapping her fingers near Anne’s ear. “Earth to Anne, come in Anne.”

Anne shook her head. “What?”

Tib huffed. “How did today go? The surgery? How is the dog? How is the doctor?”

Anne grabbed a bottle of beer; Tib had resupplied it seemed. “Want one?” she asked, still with the fridge open.

“Sure, I guess,” Tib said dismissively. “So?”

“So,” Anne began before taking a lengthy drink, “the surgery was brilliant and Felix should be on the road to recovery soon. He was still unconscious when we left but Dr Walker said he’d be in good hands so I shouldn’t worry myself.”

Tib nodded as she took a sip of beer, encouraging Anne for more details.

Anne tugged at the collar of her shirt, uncomfortable with divulging _all_ the details of the day. “Well, I’ll be going back tomorrow to check on Felix and then I have plans later in the day. So, that’s my day in a nutshell.”

Tib took a sarcastically long drink, after which she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “I am calling bullshit, Lister,” she said while pointing an accusatory finger at Anne. “You’ve had a grin on your face since you got home. And while I know you’re weird and were probably very much enraptured by the science of surgery, there was definitely something else that happened. I can tell.”

Anne scoffed at her. “Am I obliged to reveal every detail of my day to you, Norcliffe?”

“For fuck’s sake Anne, tell me or I’ll kick you out, swear on me mum,” Tib growled playfully.

Anne took a few lengthy sips before responding. “Fine. You weren’t entirely wrong about my attraction to Dr Walker and I believe things may be developing further on that front,” she said with an undeniable optimism.

“HAH! I KNEW IT!” Tib shrieked with a cackle of laughter.

Anne sat, straight-faced, across from her. “Feel better?” she asked flatly.

“I will once you spill the beans, woman,” Tib said between laughs. “What happened?”

Anne stared her down and a slow smirk crept over her lips. “Well, I believe one might consider it a first date.”

Tib gasped dramatically. “What? How? When?”

Anne stifled her laughter. “After the surgery was complete and before Felix would be awake, we walked to a cute little French café and we had a lovely time. Then we went back to check on Felix and we decided to meet up tomorrow afternoon.”

Tib stared at Anne, unwavering and unblinking.

“What?” Anne asked.

“Nothing,” Tib replied. “Normally you’re so much more exaggerated with details about women. This one’s got you all quiet like.”

Anne scoffed. “I am not.”

Tib roared with obnoxious laughter after attempting to stifle it. “Oh PLEASE! Do you remember the late-night phone calls we had where you shared every single detail of your latest conquest, from her perfume to her bra size? Don’t even try to play innocent, Lister. This doctor has got you flummoxed and it’s driving you crazy.”

Anne sighed loudly. “The truth is that I’m embarrassed about Mariana. She hasn’t given me an answer to my ultimatum and I doubt she ever will. I can’t keep playing these games with her and I’m worried that anything new that develops between Dr Walker and me will be overshadowed by Mariana.”

“To hell with Mariana,” Tib interjected. “She’s kept you on a leash from day one. I told you a long time ago that she wasn’t right for you and you continuously ignored me. Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Anne scowled. “I seem to recall a great deal of enthusiasm on your part when Mariana and I first got together.”

“God, Anne, we were babies then. The enthusiasm for it lasted about a month, which was around the first time that she fucked with your head. I remember the fallout quite well. As far as I’m concerned, the moment she decided to marry that idiot Charles was when she should have been cut out of your life. But hey ho, I’m not the one with the broken heart.”

Anne pensively rubbed her thumb across her lips, flinching at the painful memory of Mariana’s first instance of infidelity. Tib sensed the pain that her friend was remembering and attempted to lighten the conversation.

“Tell me about Dr Walker. What does she look like? Where does she come from? Is she loaded?” Tib asked, interrogation-style.

Anne felt more at ease to answer Tib’s rapid fire questioning. Anne recounted Dr Walker’s striking physical attributes: her golden, flowy hair, her piercing but inspiring blue eyes, her warm smile. Conversation about Dr Walker came easily to Anne and the two women continued talking well into the evening hours. After a nightcap, Anne decided to go to bed. Her head was swimming with excitement of seeing Dr Walker again and she was wondering what plans Dr Walker had for them.

***

Anne was surprised by her alarm on her phone going off. She fumbled around looking for the source of annoyance, which seemed to be buried within the bedsheets. When she finally located it, she saw the screen had a reminder for a meeting with Eliza, the newest editor, at 7:30am.

“Not happening,” she mumbled as she silenced the reminder alarm. She typed out a quick message to Eliza apologizing for not being able to attend the meeting and suggesting a raincheck. She thought briefly about settling back in for another round of sleep but the thought of seeing Dr Walker again made her heartrate accelerate and she felt a jolt to get her day started.

***

Anne arrived at Dr Walker’s practice at half past eight. She walked in and saw James standing at the reception desk, talking with the receptionist.

“Hello James, how is Felix? Is Dr Walker in?” Anne asked in quick succession.

James lifted his head and greeted Anne with a warm smile. “Good morning Miss Lister, ma’am. Felix is doing very well this morning. I believe Dr Walker is in her office – let’s walk together.” He muttered something to the receptionist and gestured for Anne to follow him down the hallway.

The door was ajar and James knocked lightly before opening it fully. Dr Walker was fully engrossed in paperwork of some kind and barely stirred when James entered.

“Ma’am, Miss Lister is here to check on Felix,” James stated assertively before showing Anne into the office.

James turned and left the office, fully shutting the door behind him. Dr Walker had snapped her attention to Anne as James left.

“Good morning Anne, how are you?” Dr Walker asked with a warm smile.

Anne returned the smile with one of her own. “Very well. How are you? How is Felix?”

Dr Walker closed her laptop and walked to where Anne was standing near the door. She took no time in embracing Anne with a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Felix is doing quite well this morning. He’s awake and he’s eaten a bit of food. So far so good. Would you like to see him?”

Anne nodded eagerly and Dr Walker escorted them down the hall to where the recovering animals were. Felix was awake and intently focused on Dr Walker when they entered the room. The dog’s tail wagged excitedly and Dr Walker was quick to administer a head rub of the highest quality.

“He likes you, it seems,” Anne began playfully.

“Come here,” Dr Walker said as she reached for Anne’s hand. “Properly introduce yourself.”

Anne stifled a laugh. “Ah, yes. Hello Felix,” she placed her free hand on Felix’s head, stroking gently. “I’m Anne and it’s very nice to meet you. Very sorry for hitting you with my car.”

“There, all proper like,” Dr Walker grinned.

As happy as she was to see that Felix was properly awake and well, Anne longed for the next adventure with Dr Walker. She had a giddy, girlish excitement and she was having a hard time suppressing it.

“How does the remainder of your day look?” Anne asked as casually as she could.

Dr Walker coyly smiled. “Rather open, actually. Why? Did you have something in mind?”

Anne wasn’t sure what to expect but it certainly wasn’t that. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“You requested that I bring my car and I have done so I assumed that meant you had a plan for the day. But if you don’t,” Anne paused for dramatic effect, “I’m sure we can come up with something.”

Dr Walker smirked. “There’s a place I want to visit with you but it’s a small bit of a drive. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so tell me now if you’re not interested.”

“I’m definitely interested. The intrigue makes it that much more exciting,” Anne replied without hesitation.

Dr Walker stood in front of Anne so that they were face to face. She reached forward and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Anne’s ear, leaving her hand to rest on Anne’s shoulder. “I knew there was a reason I’m drawn to you. You are an adventurous person, right?”

Anne took a sharp breath. She needed to do something, anything to quell her curiosity about the young woman being boldly affectionate. She gently took Dr Walker’s hand from her shoulder and kissed the knuckles gently.

Dr Walker repositioned herself to be closer to Anne as the kisses landed on her hands. She used her free hand to gently stroke Anne’s hair.

Anne flipped Dr Walker’s hand over and couldn’t resist laying gentle kisses on her palm and wrist, where she noticed for the first time a tattoo of a rod of Asclepius. She pulled Dr Walker’s sleeves up and revealed the entire piece. Anne placed small kisses further up Dr Walker’s arm until she got to the crook of the elbow.

Dr Walker’s hands were slowly urging Anne to take the next step, tousling her hair and scratching her scalp lightly at first but increasing in intensity.

Anne rose to meet Dr Walker in the eyes. She brought her forehead to the doctor’s and grabbing either side of her head. “I’m not misreading this, am I?” she whispered.

Dr Walker responded by placing her hands on top of Anne’s, which were cradling her own face. “Absolutely not,” she replied as quietly as she could while still maintaining an authoritative tone.

Anne’s reaction was instantaneous. In a flash, her lips were crashing onto Dr Walker’s, hungry but gentle. A smile erupted when she felt Dr Walker kissing her back with equal intensity. Her lips were velvety soft but plump. After a few intoxicating moments of kissing, Felix barked from between them and they separated in surprise, giggling at the dog’s reaction.

“Dr Walker, I don’t know what they taught you in veterinary school but well done,” Anne laughed.

“I learned how to do that before veterinary school,” Dr Walker said, attempting to sound serious but she couldn’t keep her face straight.

“Interesting,” Anne said with a cheeky grin. “What else did you learn before veterinary school?”

Dr Walker playfully shoved Anne’s shoulder. “That’s for me to know and you to find out. Shall we go then?” She didn’t wait for a response before turning on her heel and striding out of the room, leaving Anne completely thunderstruck in her wake.


	5. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne and Dr Walker go on an adventure!

Dr Walker maintained her promise about not fully disclosing the destination; she only gave Anne driving directions as needed. As she drove, Anne was mesmerized by the sights of the rolling hills and farm fields on either side of them. She noted that she needed to get out of the city more often. Eventually, while involved in a lively discussion, Dr Walker indicated that their turn was approaching. Anne felt a pang of regret that the twenty-minute ride had seemed like only a few moments.

They drove over a gravel road and approached what looked to be a large barn with fenced enclosures in neat quadrants outside. As the car rumbled over cattle grids, Anne’s curiosity was certainly piqued now. “What is this place?” she asked. Dr Walker guided Anne to park in an open section of gravel near the barn entrance.

“This is one of my favorite places to come when I have the time. Let me show you,” Dr Walker beamed as she extended her hand to Anne.

They entered the giant barn via a smaller side door where Anne saw “Hillcrest Animal Sanctuary” on a sign.

“Harry? You here?” Dr Walker called out, unable to see anyone in the immediate reception area, tiny as it was. She turned to face Anne. “I’ll bet she’s out back with a patient. Let me give you a quick tour.”

Dr Walker explained the facility is an animal rehabilitation and no-kill shelter. She also said that Felix would almost certainly require a stay here for a few weeks before he could be released to Anne. After showing her around the inside of the small office area, Dr Walker led Anne outside to a pathway interweaving the different enclosures. Anne could see several therapy-related items in some enclosures and some more playful-looking things in others.

“We offer a range of rehab services to a number of animals: dogs, cats, horses, sheep – if it lives on a farm, we’ve probably rehabbed it.” Dr Walker paused to acknowledge someone approaching from further down the path and a cow could be distantly heard mooing. “There’s Harry now!” She darted forward and waved her arm vigorously at the person. “Oi, Harry! Hello!” she shouted.

“Hey Annie, how are you?” came an excited yell. Harry quickly approached Dr Walker and Anne, embracing Dr Walker in a big hug before offering a gloved hand to Anne. “Hey, I’m Harriet Parkhill, but people call me Harry. Nice to meet you.”

Anne smiled and met Harry’s extended hand. “Anne Lister. Very nice to meet you.”

Dr Walker stood next to Anne and placed her hand on the small of Anne’s back. “Harry, I wanted to bring Anne here and show her the facilities where Felix will be working and lodging. Don’t mind us.”

Harry nodded at Dr Walker in acknowledgement. “Alright then. I’ve got a patient session at 1pm and I should go prepare for it. Nice to meet you Anne,” she smiled at Anne then winked at Dr Walker. “We still need to discuss details for Felix’s sessions, but it can wait. Talk to you later.”

***

Dr Walker led Anne through the outside area which ended with a large metal building at the opposite end of the barn. It was a separate lodging area for at-risk animals. There were a few areas sectioned off for patient care with gurneys and IV holders at the ready but there weren’t any patients as far as Anne could tell.

Dr Walker smiled as Anne seemed in awe of the facility, noting her opened mouth and wide eyes. “Thankfully, we don’t have any at-risk patients right now. If we do get an animal that needs special monitoring, we have a volunteer team on rotation, including myself, for in-house care. Basically, we volunteer one person to stay here and stay on top of the situation. We’ve even got a small little human apartment over there,” she said as she pointed down a darkened hallway.

Anne shot a cheeky grin at Dr Walker and proceeded to explore the direction in which Dr Walker had pointed. Navigating herself through the dim light, Anne opened a door and discovered a small bathroom with a standing shower. She looked back at Dr Walker who had a look of amusement in her eyes. Anne laughed and opened the door across from the bathroom. She discovered a small bedroom with a single-sized bed and small nightstand with a lamp as the only furniture inside.

“Seems as though I have found the human bedroom,” Anne stated boldly. She winked at Dr Walker and disappeared into the bedroom. Once inside, Anne cavalierly hopped onto the bed and positioned herself in a lounging but seated manner. She had every intention of playing the flirt and attempting to be suave but the longer it took for Dr Walker to enter the room, the more Anne started to doubt herself and began to lose her nerve slightly.

After a few moments, Anne was compelled to stand to her feet, regardless of intention. There in front of her was the sight of the beautiful young doctor, who made her heart rush, without her shirt or pants, clad only in matching dark red bra and underwear.

Anne was absolutely and understandably speechless. As she flashed her eyes up and down Dr Walker’s body, her throat tightened and words became impossible. She felt her knees grow weak as Dr Walker approached her, confident in stride and purpose it seemed.

“I—I—I,” Anne uttered incoherently.

Dr Walker drew her index finger to Anne’s mouth, silencing further attempts at speaking. She let it linger, seductively dragging Anne’s lower lip down. Anne closed her eyes deeply, trying to both make sure that this wasn’t a cruel trick and to gain some semblance of composure back. The closeness of Dr Walker to Anne now meant that Anne could smell the sweet perfume that the doctor wore. She opened her eyes to see intense blue ones staring back at her.

Anne brought her arms around the doctor, stroking her from shoulder to lower back. The involuntary shiver that Dr Walker elicited brought a grin to Anne’s face. Her confidence emboldened, she leaned forward and kissed the side of the doctor’s cheek. She gently kissed the earlobe, then along the jaw, then on the side of her mouth, before meeting their lips together.

Dr Walker put her arms on Anne’s hips and spun them around so that the doctor was closest to the bed. She untucked Anne’s buttoned shirt then set about unbuttoning from the top down. Anne migrated her kisses to Dr Walker’s neck. She breathed deeply in between open-mouthed kisses on the doctor’s most vulnerable of places. The perfume became intoxicating and Anne gasped for air, arching her head backwards. The last of the buttons undone, Dr Walker shed the shirt and tossed it aside. Anne had a tank top underneath, which she removed herself while Dr Walker began to unbutton Anne’s jeans.

Dr Walker climbed onto the bed and brought Anne on top of her. Anne positioned herself onto her elbows and with her legs intertwined with Dr Walker’s. She pressed gently onto Dr Walker with her hips, meeting with an intense kiss. Their heads twisted and turned with shared passion as the kisses grew wetter and more desperate.

Anne brought her hand down, stopping to tease the doctor’s breast. She squeezed and the light moan encouraged further touching. She brought her hand further down and lightly traced the area around the doctor’s hip bone. Dr Walker’s hands grabbed a hold of Anne’s head and forced it down next to her face.

Dr Walker kissed the side of Anne’s cheek then brought her mouth close to Anne’s ear.

“I want you Anne,” the doctor breathed. The act sent shivers through Anne’s core.

Anne pulled her head back and responded with a crashing kiss. She gently stroked Dr Walker’s hair and then separated from the kiss. “As you wish,” she whispered as she peppered small kisses along Dr Walker’s cheek and neck and stomach…

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't throw rotten fruit in my direction. THIS HAD TO BE DONE, OKAY? Sorry for the short chapter!
> 
> I will try very hard to work on Chapter 6 ASAP but these things take time -- https://66.media.tumblr.com/4c0e23e1ec27a2cc9b8b675575a9bf28/tumblr_pr4iz4gcDx1tgol11o4_r1_540.gif -- here's the mood.


	6. A Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne has to deal with a crisis.

The mid-day sun was high in the sky and sent beams of light through the curtains, illuminating the small bedroom with intensity. Dr Walker rose from the bed, gave Anne a quick kiss on the cheek, then retreated into the bathroom. As Anne lay on the bed gazing out the window, she felt strangely at peace. She herself wasn’t sure what to expect with Dr Walker but she felt very glad that her life seemed to be turning a new corner.

Anne redressed herself while Dr Walker was in the bathroom. When she picked up her phone, she saw several notifications of text messages from Mariana Lawton and one from Tib. Ignoring Mariana’s messages, Anne opened Tib’s text: _Mary’s here and she’s demanding to see you. Don’t know how she knew you were staying with me but you’d better get here quick as she’s had a few drinks by the smell of her._

Anne furled her brow in disgust. Who did Mariana think she is to _demand_ to see her? Anne had given her the ultimatum and it had been followed by months of silence. And now she’s expected to drop everything and come running to Mariana? Anne shook her head as she raced through the possibilities. She was so self-absorbed that she didn’t hear Dr Walker return and she didn’t realize Dr Walker was talking until there was a gentle touch on her hip from behind.

“Anne? Everything alright?” Dr Walker asked gently.

“Hm? No. Well, yes. Actually, I don’t know,” Anne finally said with an exasperated sigh. “I have a bit of a situation I need to tend to.” She shuffled awkwardly in her stance, attempting to shield her phone from Dr Walker’s sight – ashamed of the text’s contents. She spun around to face the doctor, pocketing her phone in her back pocket. “This was amazing,” she paused as she cupped Dr Walker’s face in her hand. “You were amazing. I don’t want to go.”

The doctor smirked then leaned in for a teasingly slow kiss. “Then don’t.”

Anne laughed nervously. She truly wanted to spend the rest of the day (and perhaps more) with the doctor in this very space but she felt obligated to relieve Tib. “I do wish I could stay. Let me make it up to you, please. We’ll go on a proper date and…” Anne stopped herself. “Not that this wasn’t proper, of course.” She stopped again and sighed loudly, annoyed at her fumbling of words. “I really enjoyed this. Please believe me. I just have a friend, Tib, who needs me right now. She’s been such a pal and-“

Dr Walker silenced her by pressing her lips to Anne’s once again, softly and delicately. “You don’t owe me an explanation,” she whispered onto Anne’s slightly parted lips. “Go to your friend. You know how to find me.” She pressed her lips more firmly onto Anne’s this time, causing their noses to push against each other.

Anne ran her fingers gently through the doctor’s wavy blonde hair. “I’m sorry for leaving. Makes me feel like a right arse. I will make it up to you – I promise,” she said as she kissed Dr Walker’s forehead.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Dr Walker quipped as Anne departed.

***

As Anne pulled into Tib’s drive, she started to feel queasy. She wasn’t looking forward to whatever confrontation awaited her but she needed resolution. Mariana’s little red coupe was parked haphazardly in the drive, leaving Anne to maneuver around to park.

As she opened the front door, shouting could be heard from the kitchen. Anne sighed heavily and made her way to the source of the din. Tib was mid-sip of her beer when she spotted Anne lurking in the door.

“There she is! I’ve got to make a phone call so I’ll leave you to it but please don’t break anything,” Tib said hurriedly as she quickly escaped her kitchen.

Anne met Tib’s eyes and silently pleaded with her not to leave but Tib was too quick in leaving and she was not going to keep Anne from dealing with Mariana.

“About time, Fred. I’ve been here for hours waiting for you,” Mariana said sharply. She helped herself to a refill of her wine glass. She took a decent sip then drained the wine bottle’s content into her glass. “Shall I open another?”

Anne leered at the dark-haired woman. Her cheeks were flush from the wine and her lips stained a dark blood-red. Her lids were droopy but Anne also chalked that up to the wine. It was unusual for Anne to see Mariana like this; she was usually a teetotaler. Anne realized immediately that the nature of Mariana’s arrival could only mean definite news as it pertained to her ultimatum.

“No, Mary, I don’t want any wine. And you should probably take it easy on that,” Anne finally replied, gesturing to the wine glass in Mariana’s hand. “You’ve never held your alcohol well.”

Mariana scoffed. “You’d be surprised, Fred.”

Anne flinched at the use of what was once an endearing pet name for herself. She took a deep breath, steadying herself to get this whole thing over and done with – once and for all. “Why are you here, Mary?” Anne intended to sound firm and dismissive but her head echoed with fragility and genuine concern. She bit her lip in frustration.

Mariana set her wine glass down onto the counter with just a bit too much force, sloshing wine on the grey quartz surface. “Shit!”, she exclaimed. She found a towel on the handle of the cabinet below and quickly soaked up the spilled wine. Anne watched from her position, still in the frame of the door, and shook her head.

“Mary, why are you here?” Anne stated again, this time with a definite aura of authority.

Instead of speaking, which Anne would have preferred, Mariana moved towards Anne. She maintained eye contact with Anne as she approached. She casually put her arms around Anne’s neck and leaned in to kiss Anne’s cheek.

“I’ve missed you, Freddie. It’s been too long. I need you,” Mariana whispered while nuzzling Anne’s neck. Anne caught a trace of Mariana’s perfume – elegant and floral – and immediately felt her insides warming. Memories of previous intimate moments of smelling that scent brought back mixed emotions. She steadied her breathing and gently pushed Mariana away.

“This will be the last time I ask this. If you fail to answer, I’ll turn on my heel and leave and that will be the last you ever see of me,” Anne said calmly but quite seriously. “Why are you here?”

Mariana took a further step back and squinted her eyes at Anne in incredulity. “Are you serious?”

After an unblinking nod by Anne, Mariana continued: “You can’t possibly be serious! If memory serves, YOU were the one who said ‘be with me and divorce Charles or this is over for good’! You left me to make this huge, horrible decision on YOUR timeline. Well, I have your fucking answer!” she shrieked. “I’m not divorcing Charles on this ridiculous schedule of yours. I refuse to subject myself to that practice. You are absolutely and totally unyielding, Anne! This is why we could never be truly together. You just can’t see it from my perspective, can you?”

Anne furrowed her brows and gestured as if she was urging Mariana to make her point.

Mariana sighed loudly. “This was a mistake. I foolishly thought you’d be calm enough to have an adult, rational conversation about this. I’ll just go home – where are my keys?” She began to wander around the kitchen in a stupor, barely keeping herself upright.

Anne rolled her eyes and walked over to Mariana, grasping her hand and upper arm to steady her. “You’re not driving anywhere,” Anne said while plucking the keys from the keyring on the wall that Mariana had just set her sights on. She pocketed the keys and ushered Mariana into the living room and onto a plush couch.

“Fred, I do love you. You truly must know that,” Mariana said in a barely-audible tone – further complicated by slurred speech. “I always have.”

Anne sighed as she placed a blanket on top of Mariana. “I know.”

***

With Mariana sleeping off her drunkenness on the couch, Anne escaped into Tib’s garden. She was hoping Tib was still around but a quick glance of the drive indicated Tib had properly fled the scene; her black Lexus SUV gone from the other cars. Anne thought briefly about leaving Mariana there and letting Tib manage her return home. She received an answer and technically, there was no reason for her to stay and tend to Mariana but there was also a sense of familiar obligation. Anne felt compelled to look after her despite her answer to the ultimatum.

Anne went back inside, checking to make sure Mariana was still passed out on the couch. Anne thoughtfully filled a glass of water and set it on the table next to Mariana. She also left a note saying ‘I have your keys – A x’ for Mariana to discover if she woke up. Feeling that she’d sufficiently left things as peaceful as she could, Anne retreated to the guest room that Tib had been loaning to her; her suitcase full of her own clothes had finally arrived by way of Anne’s colleague, Samuel. She had given him very clear and direct instructions on what to pack and where he could find each item, so she trusted that everything she needed was inside.

After taking off her boots and stripping herself of the button-down shirt to just a tank top below, Anne opened the case and rummaged through briefly before happening on her journal – it was red leather with gold edging and she brought it with her everywhere. She was meticulous about keeping a journal and transcribing thoughts to words was a massively therapeutic event. She felt a profound frustration that she had neglected to stick it in her bag the day she had met with Eliza. And she felt even more frustration that she hadn’t been able to get home to retrieve it. She sighed loudly and ran her fingers down the spine, a simple but repetitive act that began her writing. Untucking her long, dark hair from around her neck, she sat on the bed and propped her knee up to use as a firm surface upon which to write.

As she noted the date and the temperature as she always did, her thoughts were clouded with warm memories of the late morning romp she had with Dr Walker. She remembered the sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating the doctor’s lithe, young body with a golden aura. The doctor’s bright blue eyes refracted the light and gave the illusion of a constant twinkle. Anne thought about the feeling of the doctor’s warm skin underneath her hands, now ink-stained from fervent scribing. Her heart rate accelerated as she could feel the warmth of the doctor so close it felt genuine. Anne’s breathing intensified and her hand began to shake.

She jolted off the bed, flipping over her journal and pen in a hurry. She tiptoed to the door, careful not to accidentally stomp and risk waking Mariana, and locked it. She then tiptoed to the window overlooking the drive and saw that Tib had not yet returned. She smirked as she realized she was behaving like a hormonal teenager, clandestine yet inevitable. She padded quietly to the bed and unbuttoned her pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terribly sorry for the gap between this chapter and the previous chapter. I've committed the cardinal sin of ending on a cliff-hanger and then waiting AGES for the next update. Please forgive me!
> 
> I needed to introduce / tackle at least one antagonistic presence so I hope it wasn't too painful.


	7. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was a necessary evil. Please accept my apologies in the form of this chapter.

Anne was dreaming of Dr Walker: the young doctor’s form shifting and bending distortedly, always out of Anne’s reach. Anne was trying to follow her but her legs were weighted with imaginary leads. She broke free of the heavy sensation finally and caught up to Dr Walker, whose golden and beautiful face morphed hideously into the face of Mariana Lawton. Anne recoiled and woke with a panic.

Her tank top was soaked through with sweat and her breathing was rapid and unsteady. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 4:03pm; her unintentional, post-release nap lasted longer than she would have preferred. Remembering the events that transpired earlier that afternoon, Anne cautiously peered from the window to see if Mariana’s car was still parked outside. A smile crept over her face as she saw that the car was gone – could she really be gone? No further confrontation? Anne shivered at the prospect of yet another rage-inducing fight with Mariana.

She quietly headed downstairs after changing her tank top for a t-shirt. After a quick peek around the stairway, Anne noted that Mariana was not on the couch where she’d left her and that the blanket she’d draped over her was folded neatly by the table. Further exploration to the kitchen and Anne found Tib quietly reading on her phone while sipping on a cup of tea.

“Has she gone? I had her keys but someone must have picked them up while I was asleep,” Anne inquired, unsure of Tib’s mood.

Tib cleared her throat in a not-so-subtle manner. “She’s gone. I got home an hour ago and saw your note. Because I’m such a good friend, I got the keys for her and sent her on her way. She looked… sad but that’s not my problem, is it?”

Anne dashed over to her and assaulted Tib’s forehead and cheeks with overly-aggressive kisses. “You are a saint. Thank you! I owe you big time.”

Tib laughed and playfully shoved Anne away. “Keep doing that, Lister, and I might take you up on that later tonight when I’m lonely. You always were such a great kisser,” Tib said with a sarcastic wink.

“Wow, Tib,” Anne guffawed. “That’s ancient history, isn’t it?”

Tib feigned indignity. “Ancient history! Ha! If history has taught me anything, it’s that I should never dream to compete with whomever Anne Lister has her sights on. I fear I’ll not hold a candle to this mysterious lady doctor.” She ended with a hand to her head for dramatic effect; it worked, for both women erupted into laughter.

***

After a quick shower to wash away the unpleasantness that dealing with Mariana carried, Anne drove to Dr Walker’s practice to see Felix before he was moved to the therapy facility. The doctor had texted her during her nap and indicated that Felix was ready to be transferred and begin basic therapy. She failed to mention, however, if the in-house observation suite would be needed, to Anne’s mild frustration.

When she walked into the practice, James greeted her with a hearty hello and offered immediately to take her to see Felix. Before she could even ask if Dr Walker was still on the premises, a door opened and Dr Walker angrily exited from it, nearly bowling James and Anne over in her wake.

“Good Lord, I’m so sorry,” Dr Walker apologized hurriedly. “Are you alright? James? Anne?”

James nodded stiffly. Anne smiled and looked at the young doctor. “Yes, I’m always alright. Are you alright?”

James excused himself and headed back to the reception area, leaving the two women alone in the hall. Dr Walker had a worried look on her face and was having a hard time hiding it.

Anne noticed this and reached forward to stroke the doctor’s cheek. “What’s wrong?”

Dr Walker shook her head and grabbed Anne by the hand. “Not here, follow me.” The doctor led them back to her office, where she silently closed and locked the door, taking the effort to close the curtains of all windows as well. She chose to sit on the small settee rather than her desk chair. Anne quickly sat next to her, cradling her hands in her own.

“What’s wrong? Please tell me,” Anne whispered urgently.

“I’ve just had it with my family trying to bully me around!” Dr Walker exclaimed angrily.

Anne wasn’t sure what she meant but squeezed her hands in encouragement for further explanation.

Dr Walker sighed. “I’m sorry. This is just so stressful and I feel like I have no one to talk to about it. No one who understands from my perspective. I feel so alone most of the time.”

“How do you mean? You have me – I’ll listen if you want,” Anne said.

Dr Walker smiled and leaned forward to kiss Anne on the lips. “It’s kind of you to offer but I don’t want to scare you away. We haven’t even had a proper date yet, right? That’d be a new record, I’m sure.”

Anne stifled a laugh. “I don’t scare that easily. And besides, my current relationship status has been well-defined for me as of earlier this afternoon so it’s good that we haven’t gone on a proper date yet. Now I can come at this with an unburdened conscience, surely.” Anne furrowed her brow, slightly embarrassed at admitting her breakup with Mariana to Dr Walker.

“I’m quite sure you don’t scare that easily,” Dr Walker teased. “I’m glad you’re here. I’d rather save this drama for another time. You’ve got to see your dog!” The doctor jumped from the couch and took Anne with her.

Felix was wagging his tail excitedly in his kennel. His blond, flowy fur was freshly brushed and he looked like a stuffed animal. Dr Walker unlocked the kennel door and Felix took his time to get onto all four legs from his seated position, but once he did, he happily trotted over to Anne and sniffed her feet.

Anne gasped excitedly. “Wow! What a good boy, Felix!” She squatted to one knee and let Felix sniff her face. He gave her an approving lick on the cheek and Anne ruffled the fur around his ears. She continued to pet Felix as Dr Walker came close and put her hands on Anne’s shoulder.

“He’s doing remarkably well, Anne,” the doctor said approvingly. “His timetable for recovery has been reduced greatly in my opinion. I’m sure Harry will agree. The plan is to transport him first thing tomorrow morning. I wanted to ask you something, while I’m thinking about it,” she trailed off.

Anne kissed the top of Felix’s head and then stood to face Dr Walker. “Alright, go ahead,” Anne said.

“Would you consider staying at the facility in the in-house recovery suite? At least, spending a few hours each day there? Harry and I think that Felix getting used to your scent is just as important as the physical therapy he’ll have. It will make his transition to your house that much easier,” Dr Walker smiled.

Anne smirked cockily. “I suppose it depends,” she said in a husky voice.

“Depends on what?” Dr Walker was attempting to stifle her grin.

“Well, you see Dr Walker, I feel I’m ill-equipped to stay overnight without someone else who has a better grasp on all things veterinary medicine related,” Anne said with a wink.

“Is that so?” Dr Walker blurted. “Well, I’m sure Harry would LOVE the company. Shall I ask her?” Her laughter was undeniable now. “Or maybe James?” She snorted but quickly attempted to regain her composure.

Blushing because the sharp young doctor had bested her at her own game, Anne bit her bottom lip in a stifled grin. “Not the person I had in mind.” She pressed herself forward, hips thrusting into Dr Walker’s with a gentle tease. She reached and cradled Dr Walker’s face in her hand, followed by a gentle kiss on her forehead then onto her lips.

Dr Walker moaned lightly as they kissed. “Who then?” she breathed onto Anne’s parted lips.

Felix whined and placed his front paw on Dr Walker’s calf. Both women giggled.

“Yes, my boy, I agree with your choice,” Anne laughed. “Well done, sir.”

“So, is that a yes?” Dr Walker asked excitedly.

Anne still felt flushed from the kiss. “Yes, of course. I’ll let Tib know and I’ll swing by my flat before I go to the rehab center. What time d—” her train of questioning was silenced by another whine and bark from Felix. Anne looked down and wanted to scold him but his innocent eyes and trusting stare made it impossible. “On second thought, what are you doing right now?”

Dr Walker shrugged her shoulders. “I had fantasies involving a long, hot bath and a bottle of wine. Maybe something ordered in for food. And there’s a show I’ve been wanting to watch. Does any of that sound appealing to you?”

Anne flashed a very wide smile. “Yes, actually. How about I go to pick up the food and you can head home for your bath. What were you thinking for dinner?”

The doctor put her hands around the small of Anne’s back, tugging at the t-shirt she was wearing. “There’s a delicious Thai place not far from the practice. I have them deliver to my house all the time. How about you follow me home and you draw me a bath? I’ll place the order now and specify the delivery time for later.”

Anne tried to avert direct contact with the doctor’s blue eyes but failed and quickly found herself agreeable to the new plan. She stifled a smile. “Are you sure?”

Dr Walker curled her lip in a playful smirk. “Oh yes, you can meet my roommate! He’s a bit of a goof but he’s a good lad. I think you’ll get on quite well.”

Anne tried not to let the confusion cloud her grin but couldn’t. “Sorry?” Her eyebrows raised in surprise, further proving her misunderstanding of the situation.

The laugh that Dr Walker emitted should be bottled and sold as an intoxicant, Anne thought quickly, realizing that she’d been fooled once again and laughing nervously along with the doctor.

“Oh don’t worry, Anne. He’s all bark and no bite. Truly!” she failed to contain her eruption of laughter. “Buddy will adore you!”

Anne tugged at the collar of her t-shirt. Though she was genuinely amused at Dr Walker’s antics, she was quite ready to make the plan a reality. “So shall we order for him, for Buddy?”

Dr Walker flitted away from Anne, encouraging Felix back into his kennel. “Good boy,” she said as she latched the door behind the dog. Felix circled the bed inside of the kennel a few times before easing himself down. “Big day tomorrow, my friend. Rest up. See you in the morning,” she said, blowing a kiss to the heavy-lidded dog.

Dr Walker grabbed Anne by the hand and lifted it to her lips, gently kissing the last knuckle of Anne’s index and middle fingers. “I think that’s a great idea. So, is that a yes?”

Anne scrunched her nose playfully. “Might we consider this our first official date, then?”

The doctor grinned and bit down on her lip. “I think we might do that. Shall we go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling inspired this weekend -- we'll see how far I can ride that wave :D


	8. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne and Dr Walker have a date! Anne meets the doctor's roommate!

The doctor lived very close to her practice; Anne’s car had barely warmed up by the time they arrived. It was a cute house on a sizable lot, surrounded by a tall wooden privacy fence. Old, tall willow trees dotted the perimeter and they exuded stateliness and reverence. The gate closed behind Anne, magnetically latching with a loud _clank_. She parked her car next to Dr Walker’s practical little hatchback.

A bright assortment of various potted and hanging plants adorned the front porch and the garden was meticulously maintained, with trimmed hedges bordering immaculate flower beds. Anne was impressed by the display.

“This is stunning, do you maintain all this yourself?” Anne asked incredulously.

Dr Walker nodded. “Mm, yes. Some people drink, some people exercise, I tend my garden. It brings me a sense of meditation and commitment. I know that must sound silly.”

Anne shook her head vehemently. “Not at all. You tend your garden, I keep a journal. I understand completely. In fact, I’m glad we both have something to keep us centered.” Anne walked to Dr Walker and gently lifted the doctor’s hand to her lips, kissing the back softly. “I’m still astounded at what a turn of fate you’ve been for me. I’ve felt so incredibly lucky just being able to spend time with you.”

Dr Walker pulled Anne into a warm hug. “Come here,” she breathed into Anne’s shoulder. “We’re both lucky, yeah?” The doctor reached up and kissed Anne’s jawline then the edge of her mouth, then directly on the lips in rapid succession; Anne smiled underneath the kisses.

Dr Walker gripped Anne by her belt loops on either hip and forced her backward, towards the front door. She was unrelenting with her kisses, leaving Anne to awkwardly walk up the steps facing the wrong direction while maintaining their connection; a task further complicated by the height difference between the two women. Eventually, they leveled out and Dr Walker had Anne pinned against the door, tucked in the corner among the plants. Anne was restrained from dominating with her hips and she felt strangely aroused by the power dynamic of young Dr Walker. Anne’s attempts at embracing Dr Walker were batted away as the doctor wasn’t shy about beginning to undress Anne right then and there, starting with unbuckling her belt and unbuttoning her jeans. Anne chuckled and waved her hands in surrender.

“Okay, wait,” Anne said with a flushed grin. “Haven’t I got a roommate of yours to meet? I’d like to be fully clothed when that happens.”

“Oh, I really don’t think he would care if you were naked as the day you were born but perhaps you’re right. Better to make a good first impression, definitely,” the doctor replied with a stifled giggle.

Dr Walker maintained her dominant pin on Anne as she unlocked the door behind her, her free hand still gripping one of Anne’s belt loops. The door opened behind Anne and the doctor nudged her inside.

A big, handsome Golden Labradoodle came bounding from a side room connected to the foyer. He immediately ran to Dr Walker and sat patiently at her feet, a calm and gentlemanly way of greeting his ‘roommate’. She reached down and stroked his chin. “Hiya Buddy boy! This is my friend Anne,” she said while tugging at Anne’s pant leg, at which point Buddy sniffed eagerly then sat back at Dr Walker’s feet. “Have you been a good boy today? You ready for dinner?” Buddy seemed agreeable to the idea of food and wagged his tail excitedly in response.

The doctor flipped on a switch that illuminated the foyer and hallway that led to the kitchen. Anne followed Dr Walker and Buddy. The kitchen was professional-quality with big, stainless steel appliances of an industrial size. It looked far too large for one person to use and Anne was amazed at the grandeur.

“Wow, this kitchen is something else,” Anne exhaled excitedly.

Dr Walker reached into a cabinet and scooped out two cups of kibble for the dog. “Yeah, my parents went completely overboard on upgrading this place. I never use the kitchen except for getting a kettle going or occasional noodles. I feel a bit guilty having all of it and not knowing how to do much except boil an egg.” Buddy was happily eating his dinner but was interrupted by a burp that took him by surprise. Dr Walker rolled her eyes. “Excuse you, sir.”

Buddy continued to chow down and Anne chuckled. “I’m no Michelin star chef but I’ve spent a fair share of time in a kitchen. Maybe I could teach you some things.”

“Oh Anne, I’m sure there are many things you can teach me. And I don’t believe all of them involve food,” Dr Walker flirted. Anne blushed undeniably. “Follow me upstairs,” the doctor suggested as she stripped herself of her scrub top, revealing a simple black sports bra underneath. Dr Walker then disappeared back into the foyer and up the stairs with Anne quickly behind her.

After turning right at the landing, Dr Walker led Anne down a long hallway with only two doors: one at the end of the hall and the other to the left. The door at the end of the hallway looked far more ornate and grand than the other smaller door so Anne assumed it must be Dr Walker’s bedroom door.

Anne’s estimation was correct and she was astounded to see the size of the bedroom. There were floor-to-ceiling west-facing windows, unobstructed by the numerous trees on the property. The room was washed in a golden, early evening hue. The bed linens were shimmering gold and silver in the light; Anne thought it a magical aura.

Dr Walker opened a door to the en-suite bathroom, revealing beautiful white marbled tiles and counters with a giant soaking tub and standalone glass shower. She reached to turn the spigot of the tub on, filling it with hot water and bubbles. She stripped herself of her scrub bottoms and reached forward, stretching her back as she flung the scrubs to the sink. Anne looked over and caught a silhouette of the doctor’s figure, leaned over in a way to see the slope of her lower back and the curves of her breasts. Anne’s breath hitched in her throat.

The doctor must have sensed Anne staring because she quickly turned and met Anne’s unblinking gaze. “What?” she asked.

Anne took a deep breath through her nose. “Nothing,” she lied. The truth was that her heart felt like it was over-capacity and was liable to burst at any moment. The thought of seeing Dr Walker in a highly intimate manner again sent Anne into a panicked arousal. Her usual swagger seemed to fail at every turn and yet she wanted more. There was this unspoken understanding of control that the doctor exuded that just felt completely natural to Anne. She breathed deeply and steadied her purpose.

Anne walked into the bathroom and gently pulled Dr Walker upright as the tub continued to fill. She cradled Dr Walker’s face with her hands and slowly kissed with an increasing passion, smiling when the doctor’s tongue found its way into Anne’s mouth. Anne slowly dragged her fingers down the doctor’s back, stopping at the lower seam of the sports bra. Dr Walker wordlessly raised her arms above her head, signaling Anne to remove the garment. Anne got it as far as above her shoulders before crashing her face onto Dr Walker’s bare chest, leave the doctor to finish removing her own bra.

Anne pressed her face firmly and repeatedly onto Dr Walker’s breasts, kissing with a primal yet restrained manner. Dr Walker lifted Anne’s t-shirt above her head and used the interruption to bring Anne’s focus back to her lips. Anne obliged and sent her hands up and down the front of the doctor’s torso, gently stroking her breasts and upper hips, then cupping her butt and gripping it with some force; Dr Walker grunted in pleasure and Anne felt reinvigorated.

Anne refocused her touch to Dr Walker’s hips, circling the crests of each hip bone with her fingertips. She slid the ends of her fingers underneath the seams of Dr Walker’s black cotton boy shorts but hesitated before taking further action. In that moment of hesitation, Buddy began barking downstairs at the front door, signaling the delivery of their dinner. Anne separated from the doctor.

“I’ll take care of this. Just enjoy your bath,” she said before closing the door behind her. She plodded downstairs as she replaced her t-shirt, somewhat relieved at the timing. As much as she wanted to continue with the young doctor, she found her stomach growling because of hunger. She instructed Buddy to sit, which he did obediently. Anne tipped the driver then took the food into the kitchen. She looked in a few cupboards before finding the plates; another scavenger hunt and she found the silverware drawer. She’d eyed the large wine chiller earlier in the evening and went over to see the selection inside.

A few bottles of white wines were heavily outnumbered by the myriad of red wines – mostly merlots and pinot noirs of varying ages and regions. Anne picked a merlot with a French label. She found two wine glasses and the corkscrew in the cabinet adjacent to the wine chiller.

She carefully put some of the noodles and vegetables on the plates and set a fork and knife next to each plate. She positioned the wine glasses near the plates and was in the process of opening the bottle of wine when she heard Dr Walker calling her from somewhere upstairs. She walked into the foyer to hear better and she saw the doctor, completely naked, at the landing – her lean, pale frame accentuated by the shadows of the overhead lights. Anne fumbled for words.

“Could you bring a plate and some wine up here?” Dr Walker called down sweetly.

Anne cleared her throat. “Of course. Be right up.”

Dr Walker turned and darted back towards her bath.

Anne looked at Buddy with a cheeky grin on her face. “Does she do that often?” Buddy blinked once then broke into a small pant, almost like a laugh of his own. Anne laughed then gave the dog a vigorous head rub, which he appreciated.

***

After a delicate balancing act of two plates, two glasses, two forks, and a bottle of wine, Anne finally made it back to the bathroom. She discovered Dr Walker covered in bubbles, fully immersed in the massive tub. There was a small table that spanned the width of the tub and Anne used that surface to place the wine bottle and both glasses, then depositing the plates of food on the counter across from her.

She came back to pour the wine as Dr Walker just watched with heavily-lidded eyes underneath her blanket of bubbles. After Anne filled both glasses, she sat on the edge of the tub and offered a glass to Dr Walker.

“To our first date,” Anne toasted as she raised her glass to Dr Walker’s.

The doctor smiled and reciprocated the toast, taking a healthy swallow of wine after. “Tell me Anne, how important is the order in which the events of our first date proceed?” She sat forward, revealing enough cleavage through the bubbles to get Anne’s heart racing.

Anne placed her wine glass on the table and then stripped herself of the t-shirt with a blazing speed. “It doesn’t matter at all to me but I can see I’m terribly overdressed for this date. I misread it, I hope you’ll not hold it against me,” she said, having regained some of her earlier confidence. She then fell to one knee on the side of the tub, reaching for Dr Walker’s hand in dramatic fashion. “Unless you want to, of course,” she said as she quickly pecked the top of the doctor’s hand.

Dr Walker laughed with a snort. “Don’t make me drag you in here.” She reached for Anne’s arm but found herself grasping at air because Anne had risen to her feet to shed the remainder of her clothing. The doctor took another healthy swallow of wine as she watched Anne disrobe, smiling a cheeky grin and unable to hide her anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ok ok, I know I need to eventually "seal" this deal but as Anne Lister once said: these things take time. Hope you enjoyed it anyway! <3


	9. The Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne and Dr Walker's date continues...

Anne eased herself into the opposite end of the tub from Dr Walker. The doctor lifted the tray from the tub and set it on the floor, careful to avoid spilling the wine glasses. The tub was easily large enough for both women to have ample room. Anne relaxed in the hot water, draping her arms on either side of the tub. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She was letting the warmth of the bath calm her nerves when she felt a gentle stroke on her shin; Dr Walker was leaning forward and waiting with an intense blue-eyed stare when Anne’s eyes popped open in surprise.

“What?” Anne asked, unsure of herself underneath the doctor’s unblinking gaze.

The doctor said nothing but instead repositioned herself to be seated in between Anne’s legs, leaning her back into Anne for support. Dr Walker emulated Anne’s arm position, opting to drape her arms on the edge of the tub.

Anne’s heart was beating loudly in her chest – surely Dr Walker could feel it. She lowered her head so that her chin rested on Dr Walker’s shoulder. Her hands subconsciously stroked Dr Walker’s arms as they sat like that for a few wordless minutes. Anne could feel the warmth – not just from the water – emanating from the doctor. Her earlier hunger for food was being replaced with a different kind of hunger. From her position, she could see the tops of Dr Walker’s breasts underneath a thin layer of bubbles. Anne bit her lip – her normal routine would involve taking the young doctor then and there, putting an end to the monstrous arousal in her core. But Anne was surprisingly hesitant and she didn’t know why. She felt the doctor nuzzling harder against her and Anne’s hesitation began to dissipate.

Anne moved her arms from the edge of the tub to around Dr Walker’s waist, hands together in a loose fist that rested dangerously close to Dr Walker’s crotch. The doctor leaned back and tilted her head sideways on Anne’s shoulder, exposing her neck to Anne.

Anne nuzzled the area right behind Dr Walker’s ear. She peppered tiny, gentle kisses there and she could feel goosebumps emerging on the doctor’s body. A rumbling of gentle moans further spurred Anne to purpose. She loosened her hands and began to delicately drag her hands up towards Dr Walker’s chest. Anne smoothed her fingers along the sides of each breast, pausing to gently put pressure near the nipples. Dr Walker placed one of her hands on top of Anne’s and interlocked their fingers, forcing Anne’s hand to squeeze and handle with more pressure than she was previously using.

Dr Walker arched her back away from Anne and, with their hands still interlocked, forced Anne’s hand further under the water between her legs. Anne could sense the doctor’s arousal: quickened breathing, quivering muscles, and an opened mouth. Anne placed a sensual kiss on the doctor’s neck as she wriggled her hand free of the doctor’s grasp. Anne draped an arm across the doctor’s chest with her hand maintaining a grip on one of the doctor’s breasts, bringing their bodies together once more and locking the doctor into place. Her other hand gently traced the edges of Dr Walker’s groin, starting with the edge of the hip then moving to the top of the doctor’s mound.

The doctor bucked her hips slightly at Anne’s touch. Anne smiled and leaned down to kiss the doctor’s neck once more. The skin was soft and supple there and Anne enjoyed the feeling of her lips against it. She grazed her fingers over Dr Walker’s nub and grinned proudly when the doctor once again reacted to her touch.

“Is this alright?” Anne whispered into the crease of Dr Walker’s neck as her fingers continued their light touch below. The response was an “mmm” that originated from the innermost part of the doctor’s body; Anne thought it resembled a purr.

Anne began to apply more pressure with her fingers, sending the doctor into waves of guttural moans and gasps. Anne’s lips continued to kiss and gently suck all along Dr Walker’s neck, leaving tiny pink marks where the skin was blotched and slick. Dr Walker gripped Anne’s thighs for support as jolts like electrical shocks coursed through her body. Anne made a mental note of how effortlessly her fingers were able to dance under the bath water.

An undeniable flush crept over Dr Walker’s chest, magnified by the sheen of water and the glow of the light outside. Her breathing intensified into panting because she was squirming uncontrollably, thanks to the rhythm of Anne’s touch. She arched her neck again, looking skyward as if there was some celestial escape to her earthly ‘torture’. Anne seized the opportunity and planted a firm, full-lipped kiss right below Dr Walker’s jaw. Anne’s senses were ablaze: the smell dancing in her nose, the feel of the pale, wet skin, the taste of soap and water. Anne continued her kiss down the back of the doctor’s neck, using her nose to gently shove a rogue strand of blonde hair aside.

The doctor slammed her hands under the water and stilled Anne from further motion. She panted heavily a few times while Anne’s kisses slowed.

“W-wait,” the doctor breathed. “Just a minute. Oh God!” She slid further down into the water, out from Anne’s embrace. She laid her head on Anne’s chest, her nose and mouth barely above the water line. After a few steadying breaths, the doctor sat upright and turned to face Anne, sliding her legs underneath and around Anne’s legs.

“Is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?” Anne asked with a worried look darkening her brows.

“Yes, I mean, no. Nothing is wrong,” Dr Walker sputtered. “God, you definitely weren’t doing anything wrong.” She steadied her breathing with a final exhale. “I want this to continue but I don’t want this to be all about me.”

Anne’s worry eroded into a fleeting feeling of concern as she realized what the doctor was implying. “Ah, I see,” she said with a smug grin. “How generous of you.”

They sat facing each other for a moment but when Anne’s stomach growled loudly, Dr Walker stood in a hurry, sloshing water and the remnants of suds everywhere – suddenly feeling quite guilty that neither of them had eaten yet. Despite the commotion, Anne artfully avoided the splash and was rewarded with a stunning view of water cascading down the doctor’s body – trickling down each and every curve like rivulets. Dr Walker must have caught the slack-jawed stare Anne had because she quickly broke into a giggle.

“I wish you could see your face right now,” she said as she stepped out of the tub, grabbing a pair of nearby plush grey towels. She quickly wrapped a towel around herself as Anne hopped out of the tub.

“I’m sure it wasn’t my best poker face,” Anne joked as Dr Walker tossed the other towel to her.

“If that was any kind of a poker face, remind me never to play cards with you,” Dr Walker retorted. She wrapped the towel around her more securely and walked over to the counter. “I bet our food’s gone cold,” she observed.

***

Dr Walker rinsed the last of the dishes and turned to face Anne, who was sitting at the kitchen island absent-mindedly stroking her wine glass. The doctor dried her hands on her terrycloth bathrobe, which she had donned before inviting Anne to dine properly with her downstairs. Anne’s stomach had growled before she could admit that food would be beneficial. She had opted for a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that the doctor kindly provided, though the pants were too short for Anne and exposed most of her lower calves and ankles. The remaining Thai food had been put in the fridge by Anne earlier that night, so the doctor simply plated it and microwaved it for a minute or so. Anne helped by retrieving their wine glasses and the mostly full bottle of wine from the upstairs bathroom.

They dined in relative silence with only an occasional “mm” of approval from both parties. Anne finished eating first and took a few hearty gulps of wine to cool her palate, which had become uncomfortable from the heat of the Thai food. Anne felt her face grow flush and was quick to refill her wine glass. She offered to pour more for the doctor but quickly noted that the wine was untouched from its earlier fill. She smiled when Dr Walker set her fork down, indicating that she was also finished eating.

“The heat doesn’t seem to bother you as much as it does me. Interesting,” Anne grinned.

Dr Walker nodded. “I’ve always had a fondness for spicy foods. It’s a fun thrill for my tongue on occasion.” She stood to clear the dishes. “I’ll take this. You just cool yourself down with whatever you need.”

Anne downed the remainder of her wine and walked to the fridge’s water dispenser in the door and filled her glass, taking a few frantic sips as soon as she could. She returned to her seat at the island counter and watched as the doctor washed each plate and fork and knife with a fastidiousness that only a surgeon would possess.

When the doctor finished her task and wiped her hands dry on her robe, Anne twitched with sudden jolt of arousal.

“How’s your tongue?” the doctor asked while leaning against the edge of the sink.

Anne scoffed. “Well, I think the burning has subsided but unfortunately it feels rather numb. Forgive me if I slur my words,” she said with added effect to the latter part of her statement.

Dr Walker chuckled. “I’ve got an idea. Hold tight.” She reached into the icebox of her freezer and grabbed a single ice cube. She walked over to Anne and hopped onto the counter in front of her, splaying her legs and drawing Anne forward. “Come here,” the doctor breathed.

Anne did as commanded and brought her stool forward and allowed the doctor’s legs to lock themselves behind her. The doctor leaned forward and drew Anne into a long, heavy kiss that reignited a slight burning from the shared tongue contact. When Anne withdrew from the kiss for a deep breath, Dr Walker gently slid the ice cube across Anne’s lips, leaving drips of cold water streaming down Anne’s chin. She opened her mouth slightly and tongued the ice cube as Dr Walker continued to slide it around.

Dr Walker bit her lips as she watched Anne soothe the burning with the ice. Anne gripped Dr Walker’s wrist and held it steady, pulling away from the ice cube. She met the doctor’s eyes with an unspoken desire that was growing stronger and more intoxicating by the second. Anne abandoned her pain and crashed her lips against the doctor’s, causing her nose to wrinkle and contort. Her tongue, having been numbed by the ice, was now coming back to life and was hungrily exploring the doctor’s mouth as their lips swelled from contact.

The doctor threw her arms around Anne’s shoulders and scratched along her spine, causing Anne to elicit a light grunt. The bathrobe that Dr Walker was wearing was recklessly thrown open as she gripped Anne and brought her forward into her open legs, their faces strained against each other’s with passionate kisses. Anne placed her hands on the tops of the doctor’s thighs and rubbed upward until she met the crease of the hip where she gripped hard and authoritatively to anchor the doctor.

Anne leaned down and kissed Dr Walker’s neck and area behind her ear. She gently tugged off the bathrobe, allowing her full view and access to the doctor’s chest. She repositioned one hand onto the small of the doctor’s back and the other gently pressing forward on the doctor’s breastbone. Her fingers slid up and down the doctor’s chest, tracing each peak and valley, attempting to lock away the memory of the contours. Dr Walker took a shaky breath and allowed Anne to cradle her from behind, with that hand on her lower back. She thrust her chest forward and Anne immediately pressed her face in between the doctor’s breasts. Anne slid her tongue over the contours that her fingers had previously recorded. She gently ran her teeth over the doctor’s left nipple, causing the doctor to jerk with pleasure.

Dr Walker moved her hands to Anne’s hips, gently tugging at the seam of the t-shirt to encourage its removal. She leaned forward and began to lift the garment up. Anne raised her arms and the t-shirt was lifted off with a small tug then tossed aside. The doctor brought her hands to Anne’s shoulders and slowly dragged them down her arms, pausing to hold Anne’s wrists.

“How’s your tongue now?” the doctor leaned forward and purred into Anne’s ear.

Anne tucked her face into the crook of Dr Walker’s neck, nibbling at the soft skin that had an overwhelmingly intoxicating scent to Anne. “I think I’ll manage, Doctor,” Anne replied with a rasp to her voice.

Dr Walker slowly brought her right hand forward and slid it into the waistband of Anne’s sweatpants. She spread her fingers and lightly dragged them across the lower abdomen, stroking ever downward until the doctor reached the lips below, already warm and wet.

Anne gasped in pleasure at the first contact then steadied her position by gripping the small of the doctor’s back with her left hand and the doctor’s hip with her right hand. When her fingers slowly migrated to the apex between the doctor’s legs, the doctor thrust herself forward and Anne could immediately feel the wetness.

“I want to try this – together,” Dr Walker whispered as she gently kissed Anne. “Will you try with me?”

“Of course,” Anne breathed raggedly. “I want this very much.” She felt embarrassed that she couldn’t articulate better but figured the doctor stroking her so perfectly was reason enough. She spread the fingers of her left hand to steady the doctor as she began to imitate the doctor’s perfectly placed touches.

Dr Walker groaned as Anne’s fingers teased and prodded while her own continued their own rhythm and pressure. As the shared touches intensified, both women began to breathe rapidly and pant against each other’s lips in broken but bruising kisses.

Anne met Dr Walker’s eyes and both women paused in their motions. Before the doctor could react, Anne inserted two of her fingers, causing the doctor to gasp with a small jump. Anne smiled and bit down gently on Dr Walker’s lower lip.

Dr Walker’s mouth lulled slightly open as Anne began a rhythm with her fingers. Anne leaned forward and nibbled at the doctor’s exposed neck, catching another whiff of her scent. The doctor attempted to reestablish her fingers’ dance on Anne, though she was finding it extremely difficult on account of a wave of arousal that was building in her core. Then suddenly, Anne removed her fingers and separated from the doctor’s hands.

“I know you want to try this timing thing,” Anne stated with a tinge of authority. “But I would rather my focus be one hundred percent on you and your reactions than risk missing out on something because of my own pleasure. I want to have you in your entirety right now.” She lowered her head and nuzzled once more into the neck of the doctor. She laid firm kisses all the way up to the ear, where she nibbled at the lobe. “You first, me after.”

The doctor relented and put her arms around Anne. “Shall we go upstairs then?” Anne grinned, exposing her strong white teeth. Dr Walker hopped down from the counter and grabbed Anne’s hand, leading them down the hall and up the stairs in a giddy jog. They giggled as they ran, leaving any potential fears behind. Anne was strangely nervous about what would happen next but there was something so perfectly safe and secure about Dr Walker that made Anne feel more at ease than she’d felt in a long time. When they reached the door to Dr Walker’s bedroom and the doctor looked at Anne with a hungry desire, Anne’s nerves melted and her instinct, her primal need to satisfy her partner took over.

“Are you ready for what comes next?” Anne said in a low, sultry growl.

Dr Walker casually reached out and looped the drawstring of the sweatpants around her finger and pulled Anne close to her. “I hope it’s me,” she said with a wink before opening the door and crossing the threshold, leaving Anne smiling confidently in the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long break in between chapters! This one was definitely a test for me personally to write something outside of my normal comfort zone. Many thanks to everyone who encouraged me along the way!


	10. The Ideas and Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long overdue meeting with her editor proves to be challenging. The doctor has house guests.

Anne did not want to get this involved so soon after Mariana. But the next five days were strangely routine for her: spend the night with Dr Walker, drive to her own flat in the city to take care of things that may or may not be related to work, drive back to the rehab facility to spend the afternoons with Felix, Harry, and other patients, then meet up at Dr Walker’s house again for romantic romps that were leaving her sleep-deprived. The familiarity of it caught her off-guard when she realized after waking up on the sixth day that she had postponed dealing with Eliza, her editor, for too long if she realistically wanted to publish by the end of the year.

Anne glanced at her watch; its crystal face read 3:40am and she cursed her quick attenuation to Dr Walker’s sleep schedule, which would have her waking up in twenty minutes. There was something to be said for watching the young doctor in her sleep, Anne relented to herself. The thought of waking Dr Walker up for an early morning exercise had briefly crossed her mind but Anne decided to head downstairs and start a pot of coffee. She greeted Buddy with a warm ruffle of his ears and then poured herself a cup. She retrieved her journal and went about her normal methodology: the weather, the time, the events of the day as scheduled. But she found herself straying from the mundane and instead writing about the extraordinary young doctor who has had her heart on a leash for the past week. She was so focused on writing that she didn’t hear Dr Walker come downstairs after a brief blast of an alarm clock.

“You’re up early,” Dr Walker croaked in her just-woke-up voice. “Everything alright?” She plodded over to the coffee pot and eagerly filled herself a cup.

Anne’s attention snapped to the doctor. “Yes, just putting some thoughts to paper. Ideas and truths. The usual,” she smiled as she sipped her coffee. “Sleep well?”

Dr Walker stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders. “I think I was in a weird position because my neck is killing me, actually.”

Anne chuckled because she knew it wasn’t sleeping in a weird position that threw the doctor’s neck out.

Buddy waited patiently by his food dish as the two women sipped their coffees, Anne continuing to jot things down in her journal and Dr Walker poring over her phone. Anne looked up and saw Buddy waiting.

“Well now,” she said as she stood from her seat and closed her journal. “How about breakfast? I’m guessing you’re hungry, boy. How about your mum? Would she like some breakfast as well?”

Buddy extended his paw towards Anne and she responded with a shake. “Good boy! Now then, I don’t think she wants kibble. Go ask her what she would like.”

The dog tilted his head and remained seated.

Anne chuckled again. “You’re right. Better if I ask,” she turned to face the doctor, who was pretending not to watch the interaction between dog and human. “Do you have a preference, love?”

“Just some jam on toast, if it’s not too much trouble,” the doctor sweetly requested. Anne finished her task of feeding the dog and went to Dr Walker, kneeling on the ground and grasping her hand.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to go by the rehab facility today. I’ve delayed and rescheduled this meeting with Eliza too many times. I deserve the earful I’m likely going to receive,” Anne confessed, stroking Dr Walker’s hand with her thumb. “But I’m hoping to be free by dinner tonight, if you’re up for it.”

Dr Walker forced a smile and pulled her hand back slightly. “Actually, I need to talk to you about tonight. I’ve had a call from my cousin Catherine and she and her younger sister Delia will be here later today and they’re going to be staying with me for a few days. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about hanging out with them so if you need more time with your editor, it’s totally fine.”

Anne’s eyebrows raised with curiosity. “Your cousins? I’d be delighted to meet them. I will certainly be back for dinner tonight. I’ll bring us some wine and we’ll all get to know each other.” She slowly traced her thumb over the doctor’s knuckles before drawing her hand into a gentle kiss. “Do I assume too much if I’m introduced as your girlfriend?”

Dr Walker brought Anne’s hand to her lips and whispered into the knuckles, “Of course you’ll be introduced as my girlfriend. Cath wouldn’t believe me even if I said differently.” She giggled lightly. “A blind man could see that I’m head over heels for you, Anne Lister. But I’m glad you agreed to meet them! I think this will be a great time.” She leaned forward and drew Anne into a tender kiss on the lips.

Anne, still on her knees, wobbled from the kiss. She separated from the doctor and stood. “Right, well, I need to get that toast going and you need to get showered.” She wiped her hands on a dish towel.

“I need to shower, eh?” Dr Walker bantered playfully. “And what exactly are you implying?”

Anne cocked an eyebrow at her. “Only that if you have any hope of getting to work on time, you’d better go or I won’t be able to stop looking at you. And when I look at you, I want to kiss you. And then I want to do other things to you,” her voice lessened to a barely audible whisper. “Things that will take too long to do before work.”

Dr Walker’s eyes grew wide and she grinned. “Point taken, darling.”

***

Anne arrived at her flat in the mid-morning, well after any rush hour traffic. Though she enjoyed her flat, it felt empty every time she had come here since the Felix incident. Framed photographs of Anne with her various friends and lovers were everywhere but when Anne looked at them, she only felt detached. The pictures were of a different time, of a different space, of a different life even. A young version of Mariana stared at her with bright eyes and Anne only felt numb. It wasn’t hatred – it was something worse than hatred: a total uncaring of another. Where there was once the heat of passion, there was only blankness. Anne grew frustrated looking at all of the versions of her from the past. Her heart could only feel excitement towards the future; there was nothing worth saving from her past.

She found a box in a closet and went into every room to rid it of the pictures. The act of removing the pictures felt strangely liberating for Anne. The tired old stories that her photographs depicted were stifling and removing them was cleansing.

After spending a solid two hours detoxing her flat, Anne realized that her meeting with Eliza was coming up at 1pm and that she should get her notes prepared. At a quarter to one, Anne walked to the pub where Eliza suggested for meeting. Anne felt grateful that the sun was shining and the sky was clear. She noted the specific part of the horizon that matched the color of Dr Walker’s eyes and she felt her heart swell.

The pub was mostly empty except for a duo of middle-aged men sitting at a table in a corner, laughing over multiple pints and chicken wings. Confident that she had arrived earlier than Eliza, Anne opted for a stool at the bar.

“What’ll you have love?” chirped a forty-something woman with tattoos and piercings from behind the bar.

Anne turned and cocked an eyebrow, suddenly interested in the woman’s choice in facial piercings. “Did those hurt?” she asked as she gestured with her hand.

“Some of them, yeah. Why? You thinking ‘bout getting one?” the bartender joked.

Anne laughed. “Ah, no. It was more of a passing curiosity. I’ll have a pint, please.” She looked to the door, half-expecting Eliza to show up at any minute. “And a shot of bourbon.”

The bartender smirked at her. “Expecting someone?” She was quick with Anne’s order, having both the freshly-poured beer and the shot of bourbon available within seconds.

Anne pulled out her phone and groaned as she read the message from Eliza that said she’d be 15 minutes late to their meeting. “Yes, eventually maybe.” She texted a quick ‘OK’ as a reply then shoved her phone deep into her bag, out of earshot. She raised the shot of bourbon to the bartender, winked, then downed it in one swallow. Her throat flamed from the heat of the alcohol but it settled into her chest and then into her belly, warming her from head to toe.

“What’s your name, if I may ask,” Anne politely said. She thought the woman looked uncannily like an older version of Dr Walker, albeit with some very different fashion choices. Her blonde hair was naturally streaked with grey but her face remained relatively smooth, despite the subtle crow’s feet and slightly shriveled yet full lips. Anne surmised that she had a certain physicality to her that was misled by her baggy clothing.

“Depends on who you ask,” the bartender quipped. “I’m sure my exes have a few choice names for me, for sure. But most people call me Maria. What about you?”

Anne chuckled. “I’m sure I’ve earned a few choice names too but I usually answer to Anne. Nice to meet you Maria and thanks for the quick service.” She smiled and took a long swallow of beer.

Maria poured another shot for Anne before protests could be made. “So what do you do, Anne?”

Anne eyed the shot nervously. “I’m a writer. Or at least, I think I am.” She delicately gripped the shot and brought it to her lips. “Here’s to finding out for sure today,” she said and gulped down the liquid.

Maria brought the bottle of bourbon back to Anne but this time paused before pouring. “Another?”

Anne shook her head. The double shot on an empty stomach was already starting to take effect. “If I have another without something in my stomach, I won’t remember this and I feel like this is something I need to remember,” she reasoned.

Maria grabbed the glass and positioned it in front of herself, pouring a quick shot and downing it before tossing the glass in a vat of soapy water. “What do you want to eat? The lads in the kitchen will make pretty much anything if we have the ingredients.”

“Whatever you’d give an inmate on death row for a last meal, I suppose,” Anne lamented. “Hopefully this won’t be my last meal but on the off chance it is, make it a good one.”

Maria stared down Anne and crossed her arms. “Do I need to be worried about you, Anne the Writer?”

Anne immediately realized how dramatic she sounded and scratched at the collar of her shirt. “Good heavens, no. Sorry. I’ll be alright. I’m always alright,” she said before taking another swallow of beer.

Maria laughed heartily. “Trust me, I’ve seen far worse much more frequently. How about the fish and chips?”

Anne nodded and Maria disappeared behind the bar into the kitchen. Anne pulled out her phone and was going to send a quick message to Dr Walker when she saw the tell-tale dots of active typing. She paused and waited for the message to arrive.

_Dr Walker (1:13pm): I hope your meeting is going well – will miss seeing you at therapy time today. Cath and Delia are here now -- looking forward to when you get here xx AW_

Anne grinned.

_To Dr Walker (1:14pm): Editor is running late. Bourbon is my boss right now. Looking forward to tonight too but for probably different reasons. Don’t forget to give Felix a kiss for me. xxxx Anne_

Maria reappeared as Anne pocketed her phone. “Shouldn’t be too long on the food.” She nodded in the direction of the two men and their wings. “Let me go check on those two and I’ll be right back.”

Anne nodded and pulled out her phone again. She grinned when she saw the notification from Dr Walker.

_Dr Walker (1:14pm): Traffic in the city is ridiculous. I don’t think anyone can be your boss except you, and that’s the root of your struggle with editors. Tonight will be amazing and mind-blowing. Felix is going to start to think we’re eating him because of how frequently we kiss him. He loves it though. See you later. ;) AW_

In traditional poor timing, Eliza showed up in a huff just as Anne was intending on a reply.

“Christ on a bike, is everyone in this town on idiot drugs?” she complained as she stuffily perched herself on a barstool next to Anne at the bar. “I’ll have what you’re having. Does anyone work here?” She craned her neck around in dramatic fashion, trying to spot someone to boss around.

“Eliza, cool your jets. Maria, the bartender, is dealing with the only other people here. Just relax,” Anne instructed firmly.

“Sorry Anne,” Eliza relented. “I’ve just had a rather nasty phone call with someone about something that you should be made aware of and I need a drink.”

Maria returned with the bottle of bourbon and two clean shot glasses. “This?”

Anne nodded and Maria quickly poured. Eliza downed her shot before Anne’s was poured, which earned a scowl from both Maria and Anne. Maria poured again for Eliza, who now waited in drinking it.

“Eliza, what the hell is wrong with you?” Anne demanded.

Eliza exhaled loudly and deeply and then massaged her temples with flexed fingers.

“I’ve had a call from a Mr Charles Lawton and his entourage of lawyers. Want to guess why they called me?” Eliza attempted to keep her voice to a whisper but failed midway through her speech. “Go on then.”

Anne frowned. “Charles Lawton and his henchmen called you to warn me of implicating anything with Mariana in my book, is that it?”

Eliza scoffed. “To warn you? Oh no, my dear. The underlying theme to the entire conversation was this: if we use Mariana in name, appearance, description, historical representation, or any other things to be determined in a pre-screening of your work prior to final publication, we are subject to a ridiculous fine and potentially further damages if any negative publicity to Mr or Mrs Lawton were to arise as a result of your work.” She breathed deeply through her nose, causing her nostrils to flare. “She’s basically the entire focus of this work, Anne. I don’t see how we can realistically publish now.”

Anne tensed. “She’s just being overly dramatic, as usual. Let me talk to her. Perhaps I can get her to calm down enough to see reason.”

Eliza’s jaw dropped and she scoffed loudly. “You’re not serious, are you? She and her legal hawk of a husband will rip you to shreds before you can even think to get a rational word in. I actually think it’s a terrible idea for you to pursue this further. You’re a brilliant writer – maybe there’s a way we can redo the plot or change enough things to obscure the truth.”

Anne was beyond annoyed. “I can’t just change the plot, Eliza. Mary is central to the plot. Without her, there is no plot. Redo the plot! Obscure the truth? And let my memoirs be tainted with fiction and fallacy? No, absolutely not.” She rose to her feet. “And fuck you, Eliza, if you think that’s how I should deal with this. Unless you have a different plan, this professional relationship is now over. Good luck.”

Anne reached into her pocket and grabbed enough cash to cover the bill and left it on the bar top. “Maria, thank you for your lovely service. Enjoy the lunch. I’ve got to go.” Anne shouldered her bag and left the pub in an angry hustle. She reached into her phone and checked the time before furiously typing out a message to Dr Walker.

_To Dr Walker (1:26pm): I think I just fired my editor. I need to head back to my flat and take care of some things. I will let you know when I’m heading your way. xx Anne_

Anne wanted to wait for a reply but she also wanted to get back to her flat. There was now something that was completely and utterly apparent to her: she needed a fresh start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration and quality advice worked in unison to help me get this chapter done. Still not sure about the details but I have a much clearer picture on how to wrap this up. :)


	11. This Means War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary here, explanation later.
> 
> Our favorite ladies are back and there are some explosive events this chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoy and forgive me for the long gap.

Halfway through her walk back to her flat, Anne checked her phone. She sighed at the three new messages from Eliza, with no other notifications. She quickened her pace until she heard the jingle of a notification when she was a few blocks from home.

_Dr Walker (1:45pm): Cath and Delia wanted to come into the city for shopping. If you don’t mind the company, I could slip out to come and help. I’d love to see you before tonight xx_

The last few blocks whizzed by and Anne opted for the stairs instead of waiting for the lift; it was five flights up but Anne had a fresh energy about her. She knew that Dr Walker would see her flat eventually but Anne was counting on it being a sometime-later-maybe event – she wasn’t exactly well-suited to entertain. Nevertheless, once inside, she pulled out her phone for a reply.

_To Dr Walker (1:48pm): I’d love your company. Still have my details?_

The message was barely sent when the security system buzzed. Anne checked the camera and pressed the light green button to allow Dr Walker entry to her building. She then dashed to her bedroom and hastily spritzed herself with her cedar and juniper cologne, frantically trying to air it out before heading back to the entryway to await the doctor’s arrival.

Anne steadied herself at the door and took a final glance around to make sure nothing was too messy for a discerning eye. Satisfied that her mostly uninhabited flat gave the semblance of tidiness if nothing else, Anne opened the door with a smile just as the doctor was exiting the lift.

“Hiya,” Anne said as she beckoned Dr Walker into a hug and gentle kiss. “I’m so glad to see you,” she whispered into the messy blonde hair of the doctor, who cradled Anne’s face with her hands and caressed her cheeks.

“I’m glad to see you too,” Dr Walker admitted with a pained half-attempt of a smile. “I desperately needed to get away from those two. I remember now why I hate that side of my family.”

Anne chuckled. “Surely you don’t have to keep entertaining them and hosting them if they’re such annoyances?”

Dr Walker sighed heavily. “It’s never that simple with family, is it?” She nodded towards the kitchen. “I don’t suppose you have anything to drink, do you?”

Anne picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles. “I have just the cure, doctor. After you,” she said with a small bow, gesturing the doctor to lead herself into the kitchen. Dr Walker sat at the small bistro table positioned in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked a well-maintained historical district. At first glance, it was impossible to distinguish what generation they were in. Everything looked timeless and clean, which was unique for such an urban location. Dr Walker found herself lost in envious thought when Anne tapped her on the shoulder and offered her a bottle of dark beer.

“I think this is the un-fun but necessary part of relationships,” Anne urged gently. “To be listened to but also to truly listen.” She kissed the doctor on the forehead and sat opposite from her at the table. “Go on then, tell me about your cousins.”

Dr Walker sighed again. “It’s boring. They’re boring! All they ever think about is being someone’s wife or someone’s mother and the family encourages it! It drives me insane because they are human beings with brains of their own, not mindless robots with no self-awareness,” she paused for a breath and a swallow of beer. “They have no sense of identity beyond those things. I’m not that simple despite what my family would prefer. I won’t bow to anyone’s expectations except my own. And I absolutely refuse to be labeled as simply one thing or another.”

Anne met the doctor in an unblinking, intense stare – Anne’s warm, brown eyes locked with Dr Walker’s crystal blue ones. “I don’t think you could ever be just one thing. You are far too dynamic for labels and it’s one of the many reasons I lo--,” Anne caught herself. She blinked and focused her gaze behind the doctor, avoiding direct contact.

Dr Walker leaned forward and gently nudged Anne’s chin towards her. “Finish that sentence,” she whispered heavily. “One of the many reasons you what?”

Anne subtly rotated her head such that the doctor’s fingers were now on the edge of her lips. “I love you,” she whispered into kisses onto the doctor’s fingertips. “One of the many reasons I love you,” Anne breathed as she pulled the hand from her lips and looked into the doctor’s eyes. She forced a smile. “Well then,” she sighed and pulled away from Dr Walker, returning to her seat across the table.

The doctor, concerned, instinctively reached for Anne’s hand. “It’s alright Anne,” she encouraged gently. “You don’t have to be frightened because – well, I feel the same about you.”

Anne felt a welling of emotion rising in her tear ducts and quickly blinked it away. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” the doctor exhaled. “Every day I’m with you I feel like I can do anything. I feel empowered and emboldened by your spirit. Each day is a reminder that I’m living my life to the fullest: doing what I want and spending time with who I want. Anne, you’ve lit this spark inside me that reinforces that I will never be happy doing what my cousins choose to do or what my family wants of me. Of course I love you. I feel complete with you.”

Anne hastily stood to her feet and pulled the doctor into an overly affectionate hug. Anne nestled her face into the soft spot above the doctor’s shoulders and under her jaw. “It’s just that I’m terrified that I’ll screw this up, like I always do. I don’t have a good—”

She was interrupted by the doctor’s lips crashing against hers. “Stop,” she gripped Anne’s chin. “This can be your fresh start but you have to leave your self-doubt at the door. We just take this one day at a time, okay?” Anne nodded as a single tear escaped down her cheek. The doctor smoothed it away with her thumb. “I love you, Anne Lister. I want to be with you more and more each day.”

Anne smiled wryly. “I love you too.” She leaned forward and kissed Dr Walker on the forehead. “Thank you for this, us.” She then guided the doctor into a tender kiss on the lips. The two women stood in their embrace for a split second (or so it felt to Anne, who could’ve stayed like that for eternity) when they were interrupted by Dr Walker’s phone jingling as a notification came through.

“Damn, that will be Cath wondering where I’ve escaped to, no doubt,” Dr Walker said under her breath as she retrieved her phone from her bag. She pulled it out and glanced at the text and sighed. “Yes, Catherine, I expected you to find your own transportation back to my house in the form of a cab or rideshare. See what I mean?” she shoved her phone at Anne, who had a bemused look.

Anne glanced at the phone and chuckled. “If they can’t figure out how to get back to your house by evening time, so be it. We’ll have a nice, lovely evening to ourselves. As for you,” she tossed the phone back on Dr Walker’s bag and pulled the doctor’s hips in a gentle thrust onto hers, “your ride is ready whenever you are.”

“Alright you cheeky minx,” Dr Walker said as she playfully shoved Anne away and reached for her beer. “Tell me about the editor thing while I finish this and then we can go.”

“Ugh,” Anne sighed. “Fine.” She plopped dramatically down on her chair.

***

Anne chose the words for the conversation as tactfully as she could, though there was no sense in attempting to obscure the truth in any way. Dr Walker reacted surprisingly calmly – only stopping to question Anne on the nature of her book, which was something that had not yet been broached in conversation between them.

“So, it’s a memoir,” the doctor stated. “And how truthful is it? How factual?” She smiled at Anne as she opened the passenger door to her grey Jaguar. “Thank you,” the doctor whispered as she quickly pecked Anne’s cheek before sitting down.

Anne buckled herself in and let her engine idle for a few minutes. “I haven’t made anything up, if that’s what you mean. Nor have I exaggerated facts into fallacies – that is definitely not my style. Mary is angry because she knows she behaved poorly and now everyone in the world can see it. I’ll not be apologetic for presenting my life experience as fact and not fiction. I have just as much to lose or gain from this as she does but she’s quickly realizing that you reap what you sow, and for her, that’s a lot of discord and distrust.” She squeezed the steering wheel strongly as she steadied her breathing; she shouldn’t let the past with Mariana ruin the present with Dr Walker – she needed to collect herself. “What I mean is that I’m sure Mary will see reason and let cooler heads prevail in the end. And if she doesn’t, well then, bad luck for her because I’m publishing in any case.”

“And Eliza thinks you’re making a mistake,” the doctor stated in reply.

Anne thrust her car into gear and sped out of the parking garage. Once they were on the street, Anne reached over and gripped the doctor’s hand in hers, bringing it to her lips for a kiss. “I don’t give a damn what Eliza thinks. I’m taking a page from your book of bravery and not backing down from this. My life has meaning and a purpose too.”

“And the threats from the lawyers? What makes you certain that her husband will back down?” Dr Walker inquired, calmly but sweetly.

Anne snorted with laughter. “Charles only does what Mary tells him to do. I guarantee the only reason he’s so ready to fight is because he thinks it will be an easy go. I hate to disappoint him but I’m not going to roll over and let him win. His argument is completely impotent. I don’t want to have to fight this out in court but I will.”

Dr Walker let out a small “hmm” as a reply. Anne was a little annoyed. They sat in silence for several minutes as Anne navigated out of the city and towards the doctor’s house in the countryside. The silence lasted until Anne couldn’t stand it any longer and broke the tension.

“What? Say something,” she pleaded.

“It’s just that, well, I actually think your editor is right in a way: you are probably making a mistake. But the only mistake would be to publish under her company. You have options, you know,” Dr Walker stated simply.

Anne’s mouth went askew for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Dr Walker chuckled lightly. “It sounds like Eliza doesn’t want the risk of a lawsuit and so of course she’s advising you to change your presentation, which is ridiculous. So, don’t use Eliza. Do it yourself. Publish on your own.”

Anne glanced quickly at the doctor, flitting her eyes from woman to road and back again. “I think you’ve seriously overestimated my means, love,” she said as she tugged at the collar of her shirt nervously.

“No,” the doctor quickly replied matter-of-factly. “No, I haven’t. But you’ve seriously underestimated mine.”

Anne was still perplexed.

“It’s not something that I would ever boast about but I suppose you should understand my full background so you understand my proposal better,” Dr Walker sighed. “Through a series of strategic and carefully planned marriage arrangements, my family managed to secure a vast amount of properties and real estate all across the country. My grandfather created a trust when my siblings and I were little that exponentially grew in worth over the years. My grandfather left everything to my father and my father left everything to my brother. But my brother died in a freak accident several years ago and my parents altered their will to leave everything to me and my sister Elizabeth in an even split. Then they died in a plane crash just a few years ago and now Lizzie and I manage our side of things as best we can. But we have to constantly be on our guard because of the family connections. Everyone thinks they’re entitled to our share of things just because we had a cousin married to a cousin once upon a time. It’s all rather sickening, if I’m being honest.”

Anne pensively stroked her chin with her fingers, deep in thought.

Dr Walker fidgeted with her seatbelt. “Long story short, if you wanted to publish on your own, I’d love to help you make that a reality.”

“I honestly don’t know what to say,” Anne admitted after a small pause.

“You don’t have to say anything, Anne,” Dr Walker replied. “Just keep it in the back of your mind when you do decide.”

“Hmm, you are very generous, you know,” Anne stated.

Dr Walker chuckled. “Only for people I care about.”

The two women spent the remainder of the trip to Dr Walker’s house in a conversation about Dr Walker’s guests: Catherine Rawson and her younger sister Delia, cousins of the doctor. Anne quickly thought them to be snobbish and elitist based on Dr Walker’s descriptions. Anne was willing to give most people a chance to impress her but few people made the cut; she posited that neither of the Rawsons would make said cut.

When they arrived at Dr Walker’s house and found no one home, the doctor began to gather ingredients for dinner. Buddy was dozing on the couch and Anne plopped next to him, finding him warm and rhythmic with his light snoring. Before she knew it, her eyes were too heavy and she fell asleep. A clattering of a pan startled her awake at some point, causing her to jerk awake, accidentally disrupting the dog as she did.

“Sorry!” a voice called from the kitchen. Anne glanced at her watch and was shocked to see that an hour had passed. She ruffled the fur on Buddy’s stomach and then wandered into the kitchen to find her girlfriend hard at work making homemade pasta, lightly dusted with flour on her elbows and lower back.

“Need a hand with anything?” Anne asked cheerfully, causing Dr Walker to spin around in surprise.

“Damnit, did I wake you?” Dr Walker asked as she set the pan in her hand on the counter and went to be closer to Anne.

“No, well, yes, but it’s no matter,” Anne fumbled. She gently picked up Dr Walker’s elbow and dusted off the excess flour. “You’re making a mess, love. Let me help clean at least?”

Dr Walker looked coyly at Anne. “Sure.” She turned away for a second only to turn back and throw a fistful of flour at Anne, who was looking around the mess in the kitchen, figuring out where to start her cleaning. The flour exploded into a dust of white against the back of Anne’s neck, lightly coating her hair and shoulders in the white powder.

Anne flinched upon the impact and slowly turned to face Dr Walker, who was failing to conceal her erupting grin.

“What on earth-“ Anne started.

Dr Walker impishly laughed. “Oh! Oh my God,” she began before shoving her hand to her face to stop her laughter.

Anne’s eyes squinted. She brushed the flour from her neck in a nonchalant way. The doctor continued to fail at stopping her laughter; little clouds of the flour poofed away from her nose as she laughed.

“Ann,” Anne said with a long pause and a chastising stare, “you do realize this means war, right?” She immediately reached for the counter where the pasta was and managed to grab a handful of flour and unrolled pasta.

Dr Walker immediately gasped and ducked for cover right as Anne launched her barrage of pasta and flour. She stumbled in the process and fell to the ground, covering her face with her arms and squealing with laughter. Buddy immediately jumped down from the couch and ran to the doctor, licking her face clean out of concern and playfulness.

Anne was satisfied that there’d be no further flour flinging and stood over Dr Walker.

“Had enough?” Her eyes steeled but a grin crept over her.

Dr Walker was still racked with laughter. “Your face! You should have seen your face!”

Anne simply shrugged. “A fine mess we’ve made.” She crossed her arms.

“Oh come off it!” the doctor chuckled. She pushed Buddy away to stop the deluge of dog slobber and then rose to her feet, using Anne as a stabilizer. “I wish I would’ve had a camera then. Your face was priceless!”

Anne scoffed. “I bet.”

Dr Walker was quick to drop the laughter. “Is something wrong?”

Anne turned away. “Of course not.”

“I’m sorry, I just th-,” Dr Walker began.

Anne was too quick for the doctor. She’d already armed herself with the bowl of spinach and cheese that was to be used for the pasta. In a flash, Anne emptied the bowl’s contents over the young doctor’s head.

Silence deafened the room; even Buddy stopped prancing around to take in what just happened.

Dr Walker was frozen in a state of total shock – her face was agape and her body was tense.

Buddy whined and then began to edge closer to the dripping concoction for a taste, which sent Anne over the edge.

A stifled chuckle evolved into a full guffaw and then Anne was completely beside herself.

The doctor wiped spinach from her eye and tried, but failed, to give Anne a scornful gaze. Her laughter was inevitable.

Both women, laughing their heads off, proceeded to make as big of a mess as possible. Dr Walker smeared cheese and spinach on Anne’s face while Anne swept the countertop of flour in the direction of Dr Walker. A dust cloud erupted in the kitchen, coating both women in a fine, white powder. The flour stuck to Anne’s cheese-covered face and coated Dr Walker’s blonde hair. The pair looked like a Halloween costume gone wrong.

Anne leaned against the counter to catch her breath from laughter and Dr Walker was quick to close the gap, pressing her hips into Anne’s.

“Anne Lister, you do shock me,” the doctor chuckled.

Anne dusted off the doctor’s nose with her thumb. “Turnabout is fair play, darling.”

Dr Walker sank into Anne’s chest. “I love you,” she breathed.

Anne straightened the blonde locks of the doctor, freeing her eyes from a clumped mass of flour, cheese, and spinach. “Mm, do you?” She kissed the doctor’s forehead. She tugged Dr Walker’s chin so they met eyes. “Do you mean that, even after such a humiliating defeat?” Anne planted a quick but firm kiss onto the doctor’s lips, preventing any reply.

Dr Walker playfully shoved Anne in the ribs. “A defeat?” She faked a deep belly-laugh then put her brow to Anne’s. “You may have won the battle but…” she planted a deceivingly passionate kiss on Anne’s neck, “you will not win the war.”

The young doctor nipped at Anne’s neck then playfully spun away, dashing through the kitchen and towards the bathroom, leaving Anne awestruck and bemused in her wake.

“Try not to clean up too much, yeah?” she asked Buddy, the dog wagging his tail happily at Anne’s feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I sincerely apologize to any readers who were disappointed in the lack of new chapters. This side project of mine has come to have so much importance in my life that I can't just abandon it. I had written the majority of this chapter a long time ago but was missing the spark it needed for publishing.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed it, despite its tardiness.
> 
> The long and short of it is that everyone has been completely changed by recent events, for better or worse. I was wrapped up in my own shit for a long time but I've finally gotten the dam to break, so to speak, and I'm optimistic that I can continue with this self-discovery journey made better by fan-fiction. Peace and love to everyone. <3


	12. The Battles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More conflicts, some resolutions, then more conflicts.

Anne toweled off most of the food mess before following the doctor, who was already scrubbing herself clean in the shower. She paused for a moment to watch Dr Walker’s silhouette through the foggy glass. She grinned wolfishly as a plan was being formed.

She quietly retreated out of the bathroom and back into the kitchen. She found a large bucket under the kitchen sink and filled it with ice and water. Lugging it to the bathroom was a chore but Anne was confident that she had the upper hand once again.

She slipped into the bathroom and carefully approached the shower, where Dr Walker was absentmindedly humming a light tune as she washed her hair.

“Anne, are you coming in or what?” The doctor asked and Anne froze in her tracks.

Anne bit her lip and decided to act sooner rather than later. “Sure my darling, give me just one second.” She stripped off her clothes and picked up the bucket. She opened the shower door and waited for Dr Walker to notice her presence.

As soon as the doctor made eye contact with Anne, the bucket was sloshed over the doctor’s head. Ice cold water and chunks of ice splashed down, leaving Dr Walker completely stunned.

“Shit, that’s cold!” the doctor shrieked.

Anne doubled over in laughter. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and propped her arm against the shower door. “You should have seen _your_ face!” The earlier comment by the doctor was used in playful retaliation.

Dr Walker wiped the hair from her face to see Anne red-faced and panting from laughing so much. “And I suppose you think this means you win?”

Anne wiped her eyes and shrugged. “That depends. We could always call a truce.” She entered the shower and closed the door behind her. “Or we could continue this war and then one of us will certainly lose.”

Dr Walker shoved the bucket aside and pushed Anne against the tiled wall, her hands putting a firm touch to Anne’s upper chest. “I don’t lose,” her eyes were steely and her tone was hushed. “But if you fancy a truce, I could accept it.” She leaned into Anne and kissed her ear. “On one condition,” she kissed the ear again.

Anne’s skin was tingly from the doctor’s soft, warm lips. Her thoughts clouded and she felt herself grow weak at the knees. She took a deep breath. “And what is that?”

“I get to claim my conquest,” the doctor stated simply.

Anne nervously chuckled. “What conquest?”

Dr Walker slowly dragged her index finger down Anne’s chest, between her breasts and over her navel. “You.”

Anne couldn’t stand it any longer. In a flash, she gripped Dr Walker’s face and planted a hard kiss while turning her around so that the doctor was against the wall and Anne had the positional advantage. She felt the heat rising in her core as the doctor’s tongue met hers with equal passion. The kisses were wet, sloppy, and hot but neither seemed to mind. Anne forced the doctor’s hands above her head against the wall and meticulously planted kisses along the collarbone and down to the breasts.

The doctor moaned lightly as Anne’s tongue flicked over and around her nipples and Anne reacted to the noise with a groan of her own. The soft, warm, wet skin was soft in her mouth and she adored the feeling.

Anne released the doctor’s hands and slowly knelt to the floor, holding Dr Walker’s butt and gently motioning for her to put a leg on Anne’s shoulder. The doctor hesitated for a moment.

“Anne,” she began. Anne looked up with the hungriest of eyes and shook her head gently. Dr Walker laughed in a way where her tongue peeked through her teeth before lifting her leg to the intended spot. “If you insist.”

“I do,” Anne husked. She leaned forward and kissed the doctor’s inner thigh.

The sound of the cascading water managed to drown out most of the ruckus that ensued but not enough. Buddy could be heard barking his head off near the foyer and then a shuffle of feet into the kitchen, where a blood-curdling scream was then definitely heard by both women.

“What was that?” Dr Walker whispered. Anne immediately stood up and put herself in front of the doctor. She grabbed a robe to wrap herself in.

“Stay here,” she commanded with an authority that she hoped the doctor would not question. She then darted out of the bathroom, listening for any clue about what the commotion was.

Anne could hear muffled whispers from the kitchen but couldn’t make out anything. She crept along the hallway, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that could be used as a weapon if it came to it.

“… damn dog! Go away!” a shrill female voice sounded in Anne’s ears.

She paused to listen.

“Ugh, I hate dogs,” a different female voice said loudly. Buddy barked several times before retreating to the hallway where Anne was positioned.

She ruffled Buddy on the head and motioned her finger in front of her face in a desperate plea for him to be quiet. He pawed at Anne’s leg but remained quiet. Anne continued to listen, though she suspected quickly that the ‘intruders’ were Dr Walker’s cousins, not burglars.

“Why is the kitchen a total wreck?” the flat voice asked.

“Probably the stupid dog,” the shrill voice replied.

Anne glanced down at Buddy and gave him a serious look. She nodded toward the bathroom door and he silently trotted off in that direction. Anne took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Hello? Who’s there?” she called with as much of an authoritative tone as she could muster. She emerged from the hallway and saw two brunette women staring back at her with a fearful look.

“Who the bloody hell are you?” the not-shrill woman asked.

Anne stepped forward and presented herself as upright as she could, to be as intimidating as possible. She surprised herself at the newfound protectiveness over her girlfriend and her dog.

“You must be Catherine and Delia, Dr Walker’s cousins,” Anne plastered a wide grin and strode forward to meet them with handshakes. “I’m Anne. Nice to meet you.”

The two brunettes looked at each other with an air of confusion before turning back to Anne, who had her hand extended.

“Nice to meet you Anne,” the not-shrill woman eventually replied. “I’m Catherine and this is my sister Delia.” She gingerly extended her hand and then flinched when Anne’s grip seemingly crushed the life out if it.

“And how do you know Annie?” the younger sister, Delia, asked pertly.

Anne shifted her handshake to Delia. She obliged with a poor attempt at strength and Anne smiled as her grip easily dominated the gesture.

“She’s my girlfriend,” Dr Walker said coolly from the hallway. Anne turned to look and saw that she appeared damned intimidating, despite only wearing a bath towel. The doctor met her gaze with a knowing wink.

“Cath, Delia, glad you finally made it,” the doctor said sweetly. The shift from intimidating to saccharine was making Anne feel very flustered and very aroused. She pulled her bathrobe collar close to her neck.

The two sisters approached Dr Walker for pleasant cheek kisses.

“So, what was all the screaming about then?” Dr Walker asked.

Catherine and Delia looked at each other awkwardly. The silence seemed to last forever.

“Well, look at the state of this kitchen!” Catherine gesticulated at the mess. “It looks like a bloody madman came in and trashed the place. What the hell are we supposed to think?”

Dr Walker laughed. “We were making pasta!” She made a feeble attempt to sweep some of the flour-cheese-spinach mush into a more manageable pile. “You could’ve let me know you were on the way, you know. We could’ve at least tried to get this all cleaned up.”

Anne moved towards the doctor and put her hand lightly on her shoulder.

Dr Walker tilted her head onto Anne’s hand. “Cath, Del, why don’t you find a bottle of wine and fetch some glasses? We were in the shower so just give us five minutes to put some clothes on then we can start the evening properly.”

The sisters looked at each other again then nodded nervously.

***

When Anne and the doctor had successfully retreated to the bedroom, Dr Walker silently dressed herself as Anne watched, in awe of the complexity of her girlfriend’s emotions. She smiled to herself as she replayed the cool exchange between the cousins; Dr Walker besting her family at each turn. Anne found herself giddy at the thought of an evening with the three of them. She hoped the banter wouldn’t fail to entertain and she felt confident that the doctor was completely justified in her disdain for her family.

Anne was still wrapped up in her reverie when she felt a prod in her shoulder.

“I don’t care that you’re still naked but Cath and Delia might,” the doctor said with a sass that drove Anne crazy. She grinned at the doctor.

“They’re clearly already in shock. I know you can resuscitate animals but what about your cousins?” Anne responded.

Dr Walker just shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe.”

Anne threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. “I don’t think they like Buddy, by the way.” She hesitated. “I heard them complaining about him.”

Dr Walker sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me. They were so surprised when I decided to pursue veterinary medicine, as if it’s some taboo career choice.” She put her hand on the door to open it but paused for a moment. “I’m sorry in advance for the dumb things that are likely to come from their mouths.”

Anne shook her head and pulled Dr Walker’s hands to her chest. “Don’t,” she commanded. “You have nothing to apologize for. Besides, I’m looking forward to the evening more after seeing you effortlessly calm the panic. You’ll have to teach me how to do that sometime.”

Dr Walker laughed. “Of all the things I could teach you, dealing with shallow, vain women like those two is definitely low on the list of priorities.” She leaned forward to Anne and kissed her gently. “Come on, let’s get back out there.”

***

Anne took it upon herself to resume the kitchen clean-up until Dr Walker intervened and insisted she go keep Catherine and Delia company. Dr Walker gave her an encouraging wink as she playfully shoved Anne into a chair across from the sisters.

“So,” Anne began with a charming smile. “Did you enjoy your shopping adventure in the city?”

Delia looked down at her lap and Catherine gently cleared her throat.

“Did you make any fun purchases?” Anne continued.

Buddy reentered the living room, avoiding the sisters and opting to sit next to Anne.

“Ugh, he stinks. When’s the last time he had a bath?” Delia complained.

“A week ago,” Dr Walker called from the kitchen. “When’s the last time _you_ had a bath? Maybe he thinks the same about you!” She giggled to herself and Anne tried to stifle a grin.

Catherine gestured to the unopened bottle of wine on the table before them. “Would you like some wine, Anne?”

“Yes, that’d be great,” Anne replied as she stroked Buddy’s head.

Catherine reached for the bottle but Anne interrupted.

“Here, allow me,” she stated. “Delia? Would you like a glass?”

Delia nodded silently.

Anne uncorked the bottle and expertly poured four servings of the white wine, handing a glass in each hand to each sister. Catherine took hers and said a quick ‘thanks’ while Delia just took hers without a word.

All three women silently took a sip of wine, each waiting for the other to say something.

Catherine eventually broke the tension. “We had a lovely time shopping. The city center is so vibrant right now. Do you go there often?”

Anne shook her head. “Not really. Not as much as I should, given that how close my flat is.”

“So, what do you do, Anne?” Delia asked, interrupting the flow of conversation.

Anne tilted her head as she met Delia’s scrupulous gaze. “I’m a writer. I write things,” she paused. “You know, you and your sister look remarkably alike.”

Catherine smiled politely while Delia scowled. “We get that a lot,” Catherine replied. “She’s two years younger than me but people ask us all the time if we’re twins. She hates it.”

“Naturally,” Anne replied.

“Anyway,” Delia interjected. “What kind of writer are you? I mean, have you written anything I might have read?”

Anne smiled. “That depends on what you read, I suppose.”

Dr Walker entered the living area and opted to stand next to Anne’s chair. “You wouldn’t have heard of her, Del. She’s a non-fiction writer and we all know you prefer your smutty romance novels over books based in reality.”

Catherine chuckled but Delia’s scowl only deepened. “I read other things!” Delia shrilled.

Dr Walker and Catherine laughed in unison.

“Name one thing you’ve read within the last year that wasn’t some telenovela-in-words,” Catherine challenged.

Delia crossed her arms. “Fine. Believe what you want.”

Catherine gently nudged her sister in the arm. “Oh come on, we’re only taking the piss. Relax.”

Delia rolled her eyes.

“So, Annie,” Catherine shifted the conversation to her cousin. “How long have you two been dating? How’d you meet? You know I love a good story.”

“I don’t know really, it all happened so fast,” Dr Walker replied. “I was on shift at work one night and suddenly I see this strikingly beautiful woman frantically seeking help for a dog she’d accidentally hit. She looked so desperate but so resolute – it totally rocked me. When I went to her car to assess the dog, I saw that her very nice designer suit jacket was being used as a pillow for him – there was blood all over it. Something about that just flipped a switch or something in my head.”

Anne felt her insides warming. She hadn’t even thought about that night or how she would have appeared to the doctor until now. She also hadn’t given that jacket a second thought after the incident – it was binned immediately.

“We did surgery on the dog – Felix – the next morning and then we had lunch together. I think the rest is history, as they say,” Dr Walker continued. “I guess it’s been, what, two weeks? Maybe three? I’ve honestly lost track of time.”

Catherine smiled. “Well, I’m very happy for you Annie. You look well.”

Anne felt Dr Walker’s hand graze her shoulder and it took an insane amount of willpower not to react too strongly. Her core was on fire and she wanted nothing more than to kick out the cousins and have Dr Walker all to herself. But she simply took a sip of wine and tried to breathe through it.

“Anne and I were making pasta but we had a bit of a situation so no pasta tonight. Shall we order something in?” Dr Walker asked lightly.

“Yeah, I’m starving,” Delia immediately replied.

“Oh really?” her sister retorted. “We had no idea!” She chuckled. “You are very hangry and have been since we left the city. Ordering in sounds great.”

“Great!” Dr Walker exclaimed. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Anything,” Delia said.

“How about Thai?” Anne quickly suggested, giving Dr Walker a subtle squeeze of the hand.

“Perfect,” replied Catherine. “I love spicy food.”

Anne smiled. “So do I.”

Dr Walker’s hand slowly and surreptitiously dragged over Anne’s shoulder and across the nape of her neck, sending instant chills down Anne’s spine. “Yeah, Thai sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so empowered when I read everyone's comments and see new kudos being sent. I'm more inspired than ever to keep this project going and I can only hope everyone enjoys the ride!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! ^_^


	13. A Plan Involving a Hungry Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some dinner and some conversation. Really. ;)

The food was delivered within half an hour and the four women quickly went to work devouring the assortment of noodles, soups, and other delicacies. Anne had prepared for the spice onslaught by getting herself a glass of water and a glass of milk. Dr Walker had gently teased her for being so bold with her palate, but Anne wasn’t fazed.

“How are you feeling, Del?” Catherine asked sweetly. “Less hangry, I hope?”

Delia, whose mood had improved tenfold since the arrival of food, replied pleasantly: “Just fine, thank you. This is delicious, Annie. I don’t normally like Thai food, but this is quite good.”

“Yeah, I love that place. The owners are constantly badgering me to try new things so every time I order, they like to throw in a little something extra. Wonderful people,” Dr Walker replied.

Anne absent-mindedly checked her watch; 6:25pm. She suddenly felt guilty that she hadn’t gone by the rehab shelter for her daily routine with Felix and Harry. This affected her demeanor more than she intended because the doctor was quick to ask if something was wrong.

“Anne, you alright?” she asked softly, out of earshot of her cousins.

Anne forced a smile. “Always.”

The answer wasn’t enough for Dr Walker. She rose from the table and grabbed her plate and silverware. “Give me a hand with these?” She asked Anne, who nodded and joined the doctor in the kitchen. Once their dishes were washed and put away, Dr Walker pulled gently on Anne’s arm to get her to linger there, away from Catherine and Delia.

“What’s wrong? You looked at your watch and then you looked really uncomfortable,” the doctor said. Anne was astounded at her attention to detail. “Come on, Anne. Be honest. You don’t want to be here with these two, is that it?”

“No, it’s not that,” Anne relented. “I feel guilty for not seeing Felix today. I’ve grown rather fond of our afternoon sessions together.”

Dr Walker smiled widely and leaned forward to kiss Anne on the cheek. “You have a good heart, Anne. I’m sorry I kept you from him today. Let me make it up to you?”

Anne’s burden was relieved slightly. “Make it up to me? It wasn’t your fault. Or, rather, it wasn’t _only_ your fault. I should’ve made more of an effort.”

Dr Walker laughed. “Anne, it _was_ my fault. I totally crashed your routine this afternoon by popping in with little warning! So yes, I need to make it up to you somehow.”

Anne eyed her up and down lasciviously. “I have some ideas.” She slowly placed her hands onto the doctor’s hips, pulling them close to her with a subtle urgency. “But what were you thinking?”

The doctor just grinned without a word, kissed Anne on the cheek, and strutted back into the dining room, leaving Anne to ponder her motives in her wake.

***

When the doctor’s cousins finished eating, Anne was quick to offer to wash the dishes and let Dr Walker lead the conversation for a bit. Anne saw the look that Dr Walker shot her and mentally pocketed it for a later date; it was intimidating and intoxicating at the same time.

Buddy lazily plodded into the kitchen and sat at Anne’s feet as she dried the last of the silverware with a towel. Anne realized that he was probably hungry – especially after smelling the human food for so long. She darted to the container with his kibble and realized that she didn’t have his bowl with her. She thought that it would be where Dr Walker always fed him: near the edge of the counter closest to the door to the garden. When she realized it was near the couch where Dr Walker and her cousins had relocated, she formulated a way to get the doctor into the kitchen with her, where she might be able to steal a kiss or two.

Not wanting to waste food, make a mess, or otherwise do something that might require a clean-up, Anne decided that her best approach was a personal one.

“Hey sweetheart?” she called out, unsure if the overly-saccharine, new pet name would reach her girlfriend’s ears, let alone register anything. She waited for a response.

“One sec,” the doctor said quickly to her cousins. “Yes, love?” She called out, matching Anne’s fake-innocent tone with a masterful version of her own.

“Where is Buddy’s bowl? He’s looking rather hungry,” Anne asked, hoping that the doctor would take her bait and bring the bowl into the kitchen. Instead, she was met with unrelentingly perceptive blue eyes and a cheeky grin hardened with purpose.

“It’s out here. I imagine he is quite… hungry,” Dr Walker called back, emphasizing the final word. She tilted her head ever-so-slightly and it caused Anne’s breath to hitch. The brilliant, young doctor was on to her for sure. Anne could only blankly stare, stunned, back at her.

“Would you grab a new bottle of wine and bring it out when you’re done? I can feed him if you’ll handle that,” Dr Walker suggested.

Anne could only nod in agreement. She watched the doctor as she gracefully rose from the couch and bent down to pick up Buddy’s food bowl. Anne certainly enjoyed the view from behind – Dr Walker had an impeccably shaped butt; Anne bit her lip.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?” the doctor smiled as she scooped food into the dog’s bowl.

Anne shook her head lightly to break her trance. “Of course, the wine!” She turned around and quickly opened the refrigerator – grateful for the brief cool-down. “White or red?”

When Anne felt the doctor’s delicate arms wrap around her from behind, she felt a spark in her core – a sudden, urgent desire to take Dr Walker into the bedroom and have her way with her until the sun came up. Instead, she could only involuntarily shiver and lean into the embrace.

“Red,” the doctor whispered into Anne’s ear, nuzzling it gently before separating from the embrace.

***

The remainder of the evening was full of stories from the cousins – some new but mostly ones from years ago when they were all young girls. Anne reveled in the discovery that Dr Walker had always been a bit of a tomboy (Ann’s words, not hers). Young Ann was rebellious, sassy, and headstrong; Anne noted that not much had changed in that regard, but Ann was also warm, soft, and tender. Anne wondered if the Rawson sisters appreciated that.

Eventually, Catherine called in a night for her and her sister after the bottle of wine was finished but before another one was retrieved.

“Thanks for a fun evening, Annie,” Catherine said politely. “I think it’s time for bed though. Del, you coming?” She shot her younger sister the type of look that one does not argue with; Delia got up immediately.

“Yeah, I’m wiped. This was fun for sure,” Delia said as she stifled a small yawn. “Nice to meet you, Anne.” She gave Anne a restrained smile. “See you in the morning.”

The sisters trundled upstairs to the guest bedroom at the opposite end of the house from Ann’s bedroom. Buddy went so far as the foyer to escort them but quickly returned to the couch with Dr Walker and Anne.

Anne was seated upright with Dr Walker’s head in her lap. She was gently stroking her hair around the base of her skull – something she quickly learned was surprisingly efficient at getting the doctor in the mood, not that Anne was keeping track or anything.

Anne leaned forward and kissed the doctor’s forehead. “Shall we also retire for the evening?” she asked gently. Dr Walker nodded, eyes closed, but made no further effort to move.

“Come on, love. Let’s go upstairs,” Anne purred into the doctor’s ear.

Dr Walker only buried her head more firmly planted in Anne’s lap. “No, I don’t want to move yet. Stay here. You’re so warm and comfy,” she mumbled.

Anne chuckled. Of all the things she’d been called in her lifetime, ‘warm and comfy’ were not among them.

“You’re so sweet,” Anne kissed the doctor’s cheek. “But I’m hardly warm and comfy.”

Dr Walker grinned. “Oh, and I suppose you’re cold and distant and weird, huh?” Her cheeks gained an almost undetectable blush, but Anne certainly noticed.

“Not maybe quite those words,” Anne said as she traced her finger from the base of the doctor’s skull to the chin. “But I think you might be the only person who’s ever called me warm and comfy. You might be the only person who sees me that way.”

Dr Walker immediately jerked upright and took Anne’s hands in her own. “You _are_ warm and comfy, Anne. You’re more than that. You’re strong and interesting and gentle. You are a kind and understanding woman. And I love you.” She gripped tightly. “Do you hear me? I love you, Anne.”

In that moment, Anne was unsure if it was the doctor’s ability to seemingly see directly into her soul or if was embarrassment for feeling vulnerable, but a single tear welled in her eye and when it rolled down her cheek, Dr Walker kissed it away.

“Sometimes I’m not that strong or kind,” Anne whispered. “But you make me feel like those things are true in ways that I never thought were possible. I feel so exposed yet secure with you and I’ve never felt that way about anyone.” She kissed the doctor’s knuckles. “I love you too.”

Dr Walker lifted her chin slightly as she met Anne’s eyes. “You know, I think you might be my favorite person in the entire universe. There are times when I think of you and I just feel so thankful and proud that you’re in my life. It’s totally intoxicating and I’m a shameless lush when it comes to you.”

Anne rested her forehead against the doctor’s. “I feel the same way about you. After Mary, I –” she cut herself off mid-sentence. She realized that bringing up her ex-lover in front of her current lover was quite a rude thing to do. “Sorry,” she muttered.

“You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Dr Walker interjected. “Don’t apologize for things that make you who you are today. I don’t care about Anne-from-the-past. I care about Anne-from-the-now,” she gently kissed Anne on the lips. “And the Anne-from-the future.”

Anne graciously accepted the kiss and returned it in kind. That feeling in her core of inexplicable urgency and desire ignited again. Their lips met in kind once more and the intensity only increased. Anne felt warm and emboldened; she was the precipice of committing to things right there on the couch, but the doctor quickly separated from their passionate encounter.

“Move in with me,” the doctor said with panting breath. “Stay with me.”

Anne was stunned. This was much too fast, wasn’t it? She tugged at the collar of her shirt. Her cheeks felt warm and flushed – the doctor would certainly be aware of that.

“I mean it,” the doctor continued as she gripped Anne’s head in her hands. “Move in here with me and Buddy. And Felix too, once he’s able to come home. I don’t want to lose you, Anne. Please, stay with me.”

“You won’t lose me,” Anne replied. “I’m here.” Anne caught herself completely off-guard with the sincerity of her own words. She felt quite certain that there was zero chance of her voluntarily ending things with the doctor – she was completely, undeniably, head-over-heels in love.

“Good,” the doctor replied with a firm kiss on the lips. “Now take me to bed please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short(ish) chapter but I want to keep this going so any incremental progress helps. I adore all the kudos and comments - please keep them coming.
> 
> What started off as a side project that I wanted to do has become something I feel compelled to do for my own sanity :D


	14. A Decisive Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh, angst I guess? But maybe not how you think...

Anne woke in a panic in the early hours before dawn. She looked down at the blonde woman curled up next to her with her mouth slightly agape from snoring. Anne didn’t want to wake her, but she was crawling in her own skin for some reason. She felt anxious and her chest was tight, but why? Was it the affection shown to her last night? Did she not deserve to be happy?

She gingerly lifted Dr Walker’s arm from her chest and slipped out of bed undetected. She needed to find her journal and put into words what was eating at her subconscious. She carefully made her way downstairs where she found Buddy happily slumbering. His eyes popped open when one of the floorboards creaked and he wagged his tail excitedly. Anne smiled and walked into the kitchen for a cup of tea – she hoped the routine of it would settle her down.

As the kettle was brought to boil, she retrieved her journal from her bag in the foyer and settled into one of the barstools in the kitchen. She wrote of her trepidation and of her fears – she felt as if things with Mariana still affected her and was concerned that it would ruin what she had with Dr Walker. She wrote and the ink felt like bad, negative energy leaving her body, staining the pages of her journal instead of her soul.

The kettle began to whistle, and she scrambled to stifle it before the whole house was disturbed by the noise. She poured her tea – Earl Grey – and added a dash of milk then returned to her journal. Buddy had roamed into the kitchen and simply sat at her feet as she continued her written catharsis.

She sipped her tea as she wrote for close to two hours before her hand cramped and she was forced to stop. She closed the black leather-bound book and sighed loudly, flexing her hand to rid herself of the cramp. She held it steady to gauge her nerves: it was trembling slightly. She interlaced her fingers and cracked her joints. She reached down to give Buddy a ruffle of his ears.

“I love her, you know?” she whispered. “And I, of course, love you too.” She sat on the floor with her legs crossed, inviting Buddy for a cuddle. He happily obliged and put his head in her lap as she stroked his fur gently. They both heard movement from upstairs – Anne hoped it was her girlfriend and not one of the Rawson sisters. Quiet footsteps padded around and then eventually down the stairs. Buddy’s tail immediately wagged and he rose to greet the mystery person at the base of the stairs.

“Anne?” Dr Walker’s voice called out in a whisper.

Anne got up from the floor right as Dr Walker entered the kitchen.

“What are you doing up so early?” the doctor asked, with a concerned tone.

Anne moved to embrace the doctor. “I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted quietly into Dr Walker’s neck. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Dr Walker said truthfully. “Though I figured we were both exhausted by the end of last night’s fun.” The doctor’s hands trailed along Anne’s shoulder blades and down her spine. “Seven orgasms in an hour definitely wore me out.”

“Hmm, it was only forty-two minutes by my watch. And yes, well, my body might be exhausted, but my mind is racing,” Anne replied.

The doctor’s face dropped slightly. “Are you alright? And don’t give me a glib answer, please.”

Anne pulled away from the embrace and turned away from Dr Walker. “Yes, I think so. I hope so.”

Dr Walker wasn’t just going to let this go, Anne predicted. When the doctor’s delicate hand pressed against the small of her back, Anne took a deep, steadying breath.

“I need to confess something,” Anne said quietly.

Dr Walker pulled back and leaned against the counter. “Okay. Tell me.”

“I can’t help but feel like my relationship with Mariana is going to rear its ugly head at some point and I don’t know why or when or how. It’s eating at me and I know I shouldn’t let it, but it feels so unresolved still. I thought, well, I thought the last time I saw her was it – it was over, but I have this horrible feeling that it’s not and that she’s just waiting to ruin me again.” Anne’s voice quivered.

“Again? You don’t seem ruined at all to me,” Dr Walker gently clasped her hand in Anne’s.

“I feel emotionally tainted,” Anne admitted with a sigh.

“How so?” Dr Walker asked blankly.

“I just feel like I’m not worthy of what you and I have together. It’s as if I’m not entirely emotionally here right now, even though I’ve never been happier in my life. I feel tremendous shame for that,” Anne’s voice quivered again.

“You’re not ruined. And you’re not tainted. Everything you’ve gone through in your life has shaped who you are as a person and you should never feel ashamed for that. You’re doing the right things about her: you ended things, as far as I’m aware, in a very final manner. Don’t let her live rent-free inside your head, Anne. You’re stronger than that. And I will tell you that everyday for the rest of my life if you need to hear it,” Dr Walker said matter-of-factly.

Anne could not stop her lip from trembling. “I know, but what if I’m not strong enough? What if she finds a way back in somehow?”

“She’ll have to get through me first,” Dr Walker said with as much severity to her tone as she could provide. The doctor bowed her chest and gripped Anne firmly by her shoulders. “But you don’t need me.”

Anne bit her lower lip then smiled. “What have I done to deserve to have you in my life? My fierce little warrior. You are so wise for your age and it astounds me how intuitive you are. I am just so incredibly lucky to have you.”

Dr Walker loosened her grip. “I wasn’t always so wise, as Cath and Delia can attest. We all have our struggles, Anne. We can either let them make us stronger or we can let them tear us down. And I’m far too stubborn to let them take me down. And so are you.”

“Mm,” Anne mumbled. There were a million things running through her mind at that moment, but she felt acutely aware at the lack of self-destructive things. How was the young doctor so able to bore into her soul with her words and actions? Anne felt an intensity in her heart that made her feel a little light-headed. Dr Walker repositioned her grip to Anne’s hips and brought herself into a romantic embrace. She nuzzled into Anne’s neck and gently kissed her pulse point.

“I need to get ready for work,” the doctor whispered.

Anne felt the familiar sensation of desire building but squashed it, knowing that acting on it would make her girlfriend late for work. “Yes, and I need to head to my flat this morning to get the rest of my stuff.”

Dr Walker pushed away from Anne with an excited look on her face. “You mean…?”

Anne smiled and planted a warm kiss onto the doctor’s lips. “Yeah, I do.”

***

It was around 9:30 in the morning when Anne had finished packing the remainder of her clothes and some, but not all, of her other things. She lamented that the comically large thermometer that hung in her office wasn’t able to fit in any of her suitcases. She figured she could get that later with the furniture – whatever furniture she’d want to move to Dr Walker’s house. She lugged three suitcases into the entryway and prepared to haul them down to her car. When she opened her door, a person standing there scared them both.

“Hello Fred,” a familiar but unwelcome voice said. “Going somewhere?” Mariana Lawton was standing at the door.

“Shit, Mary!” Anne exclaimed in both confusion and anger. “What are you doing here? How’d you get in?”

“Your doorman, John – or is it Joseph – recognized me and let me in,” Mariana replied coolly. Anne made a mental note to confront Joseph about his lax security protocols later. “Looks like you’re heading off on another world adventure. Where are you going this time?”

Anne shook her head. “Not a world adventure,” she tersely replied. “And you didn’t answer my other question.”

“Can I come in Fred?” Mariana asked sweetly. Anne shuddered at the pet name being used again. “I think we both have a lot we need to say.”

Anne frowned. “I’ve said what I need to say, Mary.”

Mariana walked inside anyway, causing Anne to grit her teeth. “Well I haven’t, so just listen to what I have to say, okay? Please?”

Anne’s hair on the back of her neck stood up and she likened what she was feeling to a cat hissing at a threat. “I don’t really care what you have to say at this point.”

Mariana giggled and Anne’s skin crawled. “Oh Fred, love what you’ve done with the place.” Mariana pointed to the numerous holes in the walls from where pictures of Anne’s life had previously hung. Anne realized that every single picture of her with Mariana was unapologetically removed in her ‘purge’ a couple of weeks ago and yet, she felt no remorse at all.

“Mary, I—” Anne began before Mariana thrust a finger in her face to silence her.

“No Fred, I get to talk now.” Mariana interrupted.

Anne deflated. There was no escaping this situation, as unpleasant as it was. It seemed like an inevitability. Taking Dr Walker’s words to heart, she steeled herself for it as best she could.

“Fine, say what you need to say,” Anne relented.

Mariana walked to the couch and sat down, patting the seat next to her to get Anne to join her. Anne opted instead to simply stand across from her, leaning on the wall.

“Alright, well I think the whole book situation has gotten completely out of control,” Mariana started. “I didn’t want to take legal action about it, but Charles insisted. I’m not trying to hurt you, Fred. I love you. You know that. But things are so complicated that shouldn’t be this complicated and I’m just trying to do what’s best for me.”

Anne scoffed. “How is that any different from how you’ve treated me for years? ‘Doing what’s best for you’. That’s what you live and breathe by, isn’t it, Mary? You’ve never once given a single damn about me unless it was for your own benefit.”

“How dare you!” Mariana exclaimed. “I care about you a great deal – more than I probably should. You don’t get to talk to me as if I were manipulating you. Your behavior when we were younger was reckless and unfair to me – what with your infidelity and all.”

Anne’s jaw dropped. “Infidelity?! Are you serious? _You _were the one who led me on and on and on about that graceless oaf. ‘Oh, he’s just a work friend! Oh, he’s into me but I don’t care about him!’ Does any of that sound familiar?” Anne was pacing heavily now. “I only gave as good as I got with you, Mary. I thought we would be together always because you said as much. But then you broke my heart when you told me that you had slept together behind my back. And for what? A nicer job at your firm? An improvement in your social rankings? Don’t you dare fucking talk to me about infidelity!” Anne was quite literally seeing red at this point. “You have an incredible nerve to say that _I_ was unfaithful first, when you so obviously never cared about me at all. I was like a child’s plaything to you – something to play with when you wanted but then discarded and forgotten about when you’re bored. How dare _you_.”

Mariana clambered off the couch in a desperate attempt to embrace Anne, who shrugged her off repeatedly until Mariana was able to pin her against the wall.

“I don’t love him, you must understand that,” Mariana pleaded. “I never have. I love you.”

Anne shook her head. “No, you don’t. You don’t love me like I needed to be loved, like I deserved to be loved. You preyed on my insecurities constantly. You always were the first one to suggest I do something differently in order to – how would you phrase it – ‘fit in better’. The problem, Mary, is that I never once felt obligated to cow and bow like you because I was always comfortable in my own skin. But you were ashamed of me. And I’m ashamed how long that took me to figure out.”

Mariana lunged in for a wet cheek kiss before Anne could wrench away.

“Fred, please,” Mariana pleaded. “Please don’t do this to me.” She attempted to stroke Anne’s face, but Anne refused the touch and shoved her away.

“You need to leave,” Anne said. “Now.”

Mariana sighed. “If I leave, I won’t be coming back.”

Anne smirked at the poor attempt at an ultimatum. “Good.”

Mariana had tears streaking her makeup as she left Anne’s flat in a hurry. When Anne closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath to steady her resolve. This felt like the resolution she so desperately needed. She felt, for the first time in years, hopelessly optimistic about her future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a rough one to write because without an antagonist, there is no plot - even if the antagonist is literally THE WORST.
> 
> Happier days ahead, I promise. <3


	15. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne finalizes some very important things in her life.

Anne pulled into the rehab facility and felt lighter, freer somehow. She held out her hand and found it steady, to her surprise. When she turned off the ignition, she could faintly hear someone yelling something from within one of the enclosures. She looked up and saw Harry sprinting towards her. Anne was confused until she saw a blond fluff trotting to her.

“Felix! Get back here!” Harry shrieked.

Anne got out of her car and kneeled to the ground, welcoming the dog who would inevitably crash into her open arms. He whined and pranced around as Anne showered him with affection.

“You shouldn’t have run like that,” she whispered sternly. “Harry will be mad at us both.” She ruffled his ears. “You silly boy.”

Harry made it to Anne and Felix, red-faced and panting. “He- he just took off,” she doubled over with her hands on her hips, attempting to catch her breath. “I think he knows the sound of your car.” She tilted her head and smiled at Anne. “We missed you yesterday, didn’t we boy?” Harry reached down and gently stroked Felix’s head.

Anne frowned and shuffled her feet awkwardly. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Was Annie keeping you all to herself?” Harry suggested playfully. “She never did share well with others.”

Anne’s frown lightened. “Something like that, I suppose.” She clapped Harry on the shoulder. “Our little escape artist eluded you again, I see.”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a wily one. He usually doesn’t leave my side when we’re out in the yard, but I swear he heard your car long before I could see it and he was gone in a flash before I realized it. Surprisingly fast, given his injuries.”

Anne nodded in the direction of the small front office building. “Any other patients today?”

“Yeah, actually. Dr Walker operated this morning on a horse who needed surgery to fix his hoof and leg. Poor thing was neglected for too long in a very muddy enclosure. He got an infection and she had to act fast to get it contained. Felix and I were just in the yard getting the guy to walk around a bit. You want to meet him?” Harry suggested.

Anne’s eyes widened and she grinned. “Absolutely!”

They walked through the gate and into a small enclosure with taller fences for the larger animals that would require rehabilitation. Felix padded faithfully between Anne and Harry down the gravel lane, wagging his tail as much as he could.

“So, this is Percy,” Harry gestured with her hand towards a coal-black horse with a cast around its front right leg. The horse snorted and leaned down to graze.

“He’s beautiful,” Anne gasped. “What a wondrous animal.”

Harry lifted the bar on the gate and quietly wandered into the enclosure. Anne marveled at what transpired next. Harry raised her arms slowly but kept her head bowed as she approached the horse, who snorted again into the ground. As Harry slowly and carefully inched herself closer, she used a sing-song voice and spoke words that Anne couldn’t quite hear. When Harry was within touching distance, she lowered her arms and raised her head to make eye contact with the horse. Anne was impressed.

“There, there,” Harry said loud enough for Anne to hear. “I’ll bring him to you but don’t make any sudden movements. I don’t want the poor thing to spook and try to take off on his bum leg.”

Anne nodded silently.

Harry put her hand on the horse’s strong face, gently nudging him to move. “There we go, love. Nice and steady. Good boy, Percy.” She had managed to guide Percy closer to the fence where Anne and Felix waited.

Anne was astounded at the size of the horse. He glistened like an onyx stone in the sunlight. His muscles rippled with every movement.

“Where’d you learn to handle horses so well?” Anne inquired.

“I’ve been around them my entire life. My father owned horses and his father owned horses, and so on. I guess it just runs in the family,” Harry replied. “I much prefer their company over humans on most days.”

The two women chuckled.

“How long will he spend here, you think?” Anne asked quietly.

Harry petted the horse’s snout. “I reckon a couple of weeks at least. Dr Walker was NOT happy when she saw the horse’s living arrangements – the pen was much too small and there wasn’t a bit of clean, dry grass anywhere. I don’t think she’ll want to send him back there in any hurry.”

Anne smiled. “She’s very headstrong like that, but I’m glad for it. Especially when it comes to her patients.”

“Right,” Harry replied. “Behind you in a bin are some carrots and apples. Go get a handful and bring them for Percy, yeah?”

Anne slowly backed away from Harry and the horse and retrieved three carrots and an apple, then slowly approached the fence.

“Hold something out, but don’t expose your fingers. Don’t want you to get bitten accidentally,” Harry instructed.

Anne grabbed a carrot and wrapped her hand around it. She offered it to the horse, who was hesitant until he smelled it. He opened his mouth and gently pulled it from Anne’s hand.

“Good boy,” Harry whispered as she stroked his shoulder. Anne offered another carrot and Percy gently took that too. Anne was grinning from ear to ear like a child in a toy store.

“This is amazing, Harry,” Anne whispered excitedly. “He’s so gentle.”

“Yeah, he’s a good one for sure,” Harry patted the horse’s shoulder and left him to finish his afternoon snack of carrots and apple. “Come back to the office. There’s some paperwork that you need to sign for Felix’s adoption,” she said.

***

With Felix securely in his crate in her backseat, Anne left the rehab center and found it hard not to speed through the rural lanes – she was heading to her new home with her new dog, and the thought of starting this chapter in her life made her feel alive. As she twisted and turned down the lanes, the sun was beginning to sink lower and lower into the horizon, casting everything in a deep orange hue. Anne was totally lost in her own euphoria when a ringing phone interrupted her reverie.

She smiled when she saw the caller’s name displayed on her screen.

“Hello my darling,” Anne answered.

“Hi,” Dr Walker said quietly. “Where are you right now?”

“I’m heading home – to your house. And I have someone else with me. He’s doing so great in the car,” Anne said as she glanced in her rear-view mirror to look at Felix, who was calmly panting.

“I think you should head to your flat instead,” the doctor said with a crack in her voice.

Anne’s demeanor instantly shifted. She felt her heart sink and her stomach lurched into her throat. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing with you, love. I’ve just had a row with my cousins, and I don’t think it’s a healthy environment for you or Felix to be in right now,” the doctor admitted. “They’ve left in a complete tizzy and I don’t think I should –“

“Nonsense!” Anne interrupted. “I’m eight minutes away. I’ll be right there and you can talk to me in person about it.”

Dr Walker sniffled. “Okay.”

Anne’s heart felt in its normal spot again, but she was quivering in anger. Those damn cousins. “Alright my darling. Do you want me to stay on the line with you? I’ve gone totally hands-free, as you know,” she said attempting to be light-hearted.

“No,” Dr Walker weakly replied. “It’s alright. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Anne gripped her steering wheel intensely. “Yes, you will.” She paused for a moment. “And Ann?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” Anne stated as firmly as she could.

Another sniffle was heard. “I love you too. Be safe.”

The line disconnected and Anne’s mood matched the now-dark sky threatening rain.

***

When Anne pulled up to the doctor’s house, she saw her sitting on the steps by her front door, blotchy and red-eyed from crying, presumably. It had started to rain and Anne was increasingly concerned because Dr Walker made no attempt at staying dry. Anne turned off the engine and looked despairingly at Felix, who wagged his tail anyway.

“Sorry, boy. I need a minute,” Anne confessed to her dog. The rain was falling much harder and Anne sprinted over to the forlorn doctor whose golden waves were soaked and clinging to her face. Anne hoisted the doctor to her feet and wiped the rain-drenched hair from her eyes then gripped the doctor’s face between her hands.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” Anne asked, desperate to do anything she could to help.

Dr Walker smiled at Anne. “Let’s get Felix settled in and then we can talk about it.” She wandered back into the rain towards Anne’s car. She opened the back door just as Anne dashed back to the car and covered them as best as she could with a blanket next to the crate.

“Easy does it,” Dr Walker praised as Felix gingerly hopped out of his crate. “Alright, let’s go.” She walked Felix into the house, leaving Anne to gather his things: the blanket, a new dog bowl, a collar that she hadn’t fitted yet, and a monkey-shaped plush chew toy.

When Anne entered the house, she could see a portion of the living room sectioned off with plastic fencing and the floor lined with puppy pads, with a sizable dog bed in the corner near the window. She was surprised at all the preparation.

“When did you do all this?” Anne gestured with her free hand.

“Earlier, before the fight.” The doctor guided Felix to the new bed and sat on the floor next to him, stroking his head gently. Anne noted that her hair was still soaked, and her scrub top was practically see-through. Anne couldn’t help but notice that the doctor’s bra was bright red. _Not now, she thought to herself._

Anne walked into the powder room near the entryway and retrieved a towel, which she used to gently dry off the damp doctor. She sat behind Dr Walker - her legs spread out around her. She continued to dab and wipe the rain away from the doctor’s clothing before throwing the towel over her head and ruffling gently. She wrapped the towel around the doctor’s shoulders and embraced her from behind.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” Anne asked gently. She didn’t want to press the issue unless the doctor was willing to talk about it.

Dr Walker sighed and leaned into Anne. “They’re idiots who said some very hurtful things. Is that worth talking about it?”

“Only if you want to,” Anne replied.

Dr Walker picked up Anne’s hand and kissed it gently. “Yeah, I think I do.”

“I had a rather pressing surgery this morning, I think Harry probably told you. It took a lot longer than I imagined but we got through it. I was just totally exhausted by the end. So, I came home around midday and took a small nap. I woke up when Felix’s enclosure,” she paused to gesture around, “arrived for home delivery. I brought everything in and began to put it together when Delia came downstairs.”

Anne sucked in her breath.

“She had the gall to ask why I was making so much noise. In my own house!” Dr Walker continued, getting more and more animated as she recounted the events. “I told her that you and Felix were moving in today and I needed to get the space for him prepared.”

Anne tucked her head into the space between the doctor’s head and her shoulders, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment.

“She obviously doesn’t give a shit about dogs and so she focused on my relationship with you. She made little digging comments about how we know each other, how quickly this has developed, her distrust in you – stuff that on a normal day, I’d be able to deflect and defend. But today was different,” Dr Walker sighed.

“She just kept at it, despite me assuring her that it’s none of her business and incredibly rude. I guess I just had enough. So, I suggested that maybe she should leave if she’s so disapproving and distrustful, because you weren’t going anywhere.”

Anne smiled widely. That much was true – she had no intention of going anywhere at all.

“Then she resorted to name-calling and bringing up things from my past that should stay there. Things that I trusted her with, whatever good that did me, a long time ago. I told her she was being petty and spiteful. I told her that she’s always treated me that way, for whatever reason. And then I told her to get the fuck out of my house,” the doctor tensed on the last statement. “She made a huge deal about it, naturally, then they left.”

Anne gently kissed the doctor’s neck. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” she said. “But I’m so proud of you for standing up for yourself. In fact, I think you’re rubbing off on me and I think you’d be rather proud of me today.”

Dr Walker rolled her head back, exposing more of her neck to Anne, who wasted no time in planting a series of lazy, light kisses along the flesh. “How do you mean?” the doctor asked.

“Mariana showed up at my flat just as I was leaving this morning,” Anne started. She felt the doctor squirm closer to her but wasn’t sure if it was an aggressive squirm or not. “I really should tell Joseph off for that, but hey-ho, it was a means to an end. I basically told Mariana how she never loved me the way I needed or deserved and that it was completely and totally over. I didn’t exactly tell her to get the fuck out of my house, but it was the same message, more or less.” Anne chuckled. “What a weird day.”

Dr Walker stood to her feet and brought Anne with her. She gently stroked Anne’s cheek and then planted a gentle kiss on the lips. “I am proud of you. And you’re right, it has been a weird day. What would you say about a simple night in with our boys, with loads of junk food and a night of Netflix?”

Anne returned the kiss with emboldened purpose. She lightly ran her fingers through the doctor’s still-damp hair. “That sounds like a perfect night at home to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little fluffier than I originally intended but I think it's paving the way for some great story lines later on. Hope you enjoyed. <3


End file.
